A 400-level student of Kogi State University, Ayingba who was reportedly kidnapped by ritualists has been rescued by the operatives of the Kwara State command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).

The 19-year-old English Education undergraduate, Fauziyah Muhammed, was according to the NSCDC officials, hypnotized in Kogi but was later dumped in Ilorin, the state capital.

Speaking with selected journalists on Monday, the state commandant of the NSCDC, Umar Muhammed, said that the kidnap victim was discovered by residents of Ajegunle-Isale community on Egbejila Road in Ilorin.

The commandant, who said that the victim was wandering about the community naked, added that “the residents seized and handed her over to NSCDC officer, Afolayan”.

He said that Fauziyah was no longer coherent in speech which he attributed to horrible experiences while with the kidnappers.

“We, as a command, have tried to comfort her with items of clothing as well as brief the governor of her plight.

“Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has promised to assist us with fuel to return her to Kogi tomorrow,” he said.

On interrogation, Fauziyah said she did not know how she got to Kwara State from Kogi State, but recalled: “One of the books I carried dropped and as I made to pick it, I lost consciousness”.

Meanwhile, the command is set to release her to one Salihu Aliu, who claimed to be her uncle delegated by the family to act on their behalf.

Also, the command paraded an underaged Abu Soja, an alleged informant of kidnappers in the Ajase-Ipo area of the state.

The command said his people, now on the run, kidnapped a woman and her two children on November 7, 2024.

Umar said they demanded N50 million ransom but later reduced it to N15 million, adding that the mother had been released while the kidnappers had escaped with the children.