Key Points

• John Arum Azi, a 28-year-old University of Jos student, was abducted alongside six others on the Kaduna-Jos highway while traveling to fix a client’s keyboard in Zaria.
• His kidnappers filmed his torture with his own phone and posted it to his class WhatsApp group, demanding N30 million before reportedly dropping the figure to N5 million.
• NANS issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the federal government, threatening a nationwide student shutdown if authorities fail to secure Azi’s release.

Armed bandits have abducted a University of Jos student along the Kaduna-Jos highway, filmed his torture in captivity using his own phone and posted the footage to his class WhatsApp group while demanding N30 million for his release.

John Arum Azi, 28, was abducted while traveling from Jos to Zaria, Kaduna State, where a client had called him to fix a keyboard. He was taken alongside six other passengers, bringing the total number of victims to seven.

Footage used as a weapon

In the video, Azi 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.

The video was posted on Facebook by one of his coursemates after the kidnappers forced him to record a message to his family and the public. In the footage, he appears visibly distressed as he appeals for financial assistance to secure his release.

The abductors initially demanded a ransom of N30 million, threatening to kill him when he told them he could not afford the payment.

A coursemate, Ezikima Asunga, confirmed the incident publicly and raised concern that Azi’s family may not have been reached directly through any formal line of communication. Separate reports indicate that the ransom demand was later revised down from N30 million to N5 million.

Targeting a student’s faith

Accounts from those who viewed the footage say the attackers made remarks aimed at intimidating Azi, with reports that he was forced under duress to make statements renouncing his Christian faith. These claims have not been independently verified by authorities.

Witnesses said the torture intensified after Azi called on Jesus. His captors mocked him for it. No security agency has confirmed or denied the details of what appears in the footage.

Students demand action

The National Association of Nigerian Students issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the federal government. NANS president Oladoja said in a statement that the association “expresses its utmost grief, outrage, and condemnation over the abduction of one of our own.”

The group demanded immediate deployment of intelligence and security resources to secure Azi’s release, alongside regular public updates on rescue efforts.

NANS warned that failure to act within the deadline would compel students to embark on a nationwide solidarity protest and total shutdown of socio-economic and academic activities across the country.

A highway that keeps claiming victims

The Kaduna-Jos corridor has become one of the most dangerous stretches of road in north-central Nigeria. Bandits operating out of forested areas straddling Plateau and Kaduna states have turned the route into a recurring kidnapping corridor, with multiple reported abductions producing few arrests or prosecutions.

As of the time of filing this report, there has been no official confirmation from security agencies, and it remains unclear whether the victim’s family has been formally contacted regarding the ransom demand. The Nigerian Police Force had made no public statement on any rescue operation.