Sokoto State Government has denied reports that 18 students of Gamji College of Health Technology, Sokoto, were abducted by suspected terrorists while travelling to Oyo State.
Gatekeepers News reports that the government, in a statement signed by Abubakar Bawa, Director-General, Media and Publicity, Government House, Sokoto, on Monday, October 5, 2026, described the report as false and urged the public to disregard it.
The statement followed a report alleging that the students were travelling in a chartered bus from Gamji College of Health Technology, a private health institution in Sokoto, to Oyo State when they were abducted.
The government said no student of the institution was abducted by suspected terrorists.
“For the avoidance of doubt and to set the record straight, the person reported to have been abducted is Halima Sokeni, a former student of Gamji College of Nursing Sciences, More Area, Sokoto State,” the statement said.
According to the government, Sokeni graduated from the institution as a midwife in September 2026.
It said she was travelling home on Thursday, October 1, when she and other passengers were abducted in Niger State.
The government therefore urged journalists and media organisations to verify information before publication, warning that unverified reports could spread false and misleading information and cause unnecessary alarm.
“The Sokoto State Government therefore appeals to journalists and media organisations to always adhere to the ethics and professional standards of journalism by verifying information before publication, in order to avoid spreading false, misleading and potentially alarming reports,” the statement added.
