A student of the University of Jos, identified as John Arum, has reportedly been abducted and severely tortured by suspected bandits after being intercepted along a highway in northern Nigeria.
Arum was said to be travelling from Jos, Plateau State, to Kaduna State when he and six others were kidnapped by armed attackers. The assailants are demanding a ransom of N30 million for his release.
A disturbing video circulating online shows the victim being physically assaulted by the kidnappers. In the footage, Arum appears visibly distressed as he is repeatedly beaten with a stick.
At one point, the attackers force him to lie face down, place a heavy object on his back, and threaten him with a firearm while continuing the assault.
In the video, the student is heard pleading for his life and appealing for financial assistance to secure his freedom.
“I’m begging… please don’t kill me,” he says, before urging the public to help raise the ransom demanded by his captors.
According to reports, the video was recorded using the victim’s mobile phone and later shared with his colleagues, apparently as a means of pressuring his family and associates to meet the ransom demand.
The condition and whereabouts of the six other individuals abducted alongside him remain unclear at the time of reporting.
The incident has sparked widespread outrage, with many Nigerians calling for urgent intervention by security agencies to rescue the victims and address the growing insecurity on major highways.
Kidnapping for ransom remains a significant security challenge in parts of Nigeria, particularly along inter-state routes where travellers are frequently targeted by armed groups.
Authorities are yet to release an official statement on the incident.
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