Bandits Torture UNIJOS Student, Make Him Denounce Jesus. Demand ₦30M

Jos – Armed bandits have subjected University of Jos student John Arum Azi to horrific torture after kidnapping him along the notorious Kaduna-Jos highway, recording his agony on video and demanding a staggering ₦30 million ransom for his release.

The young man, a resident of Bassa Local Government Area in Plateau State, was heading to Kaduna State to repair a client’s keyboard when bandits ambushed the vehicle he boarded on Monday, April 13, 2026. He was taken alongside six other passengers, bringing the total number of victims to seven.

In a disturbing video now circulating widely on social media, the kidnappers used Azi’s own phone to film the torture session and sent it directly to his classmates’ group chat. Eyewitness accounts and the footage obtained by NaijaChoice News show the bandits beating him mercilessly with canes and stones. At one point, when asked if he was a Christian, Azi reportedly denied it in a desperate bid to escape further pain. But moments later, overwhelmed by agony, he cried out “Jesus! Jesus!”

This outburst provoked his captors, who immediately intensified the assault. “I thought you said you don’t know Jesus?” they taunted, according to multiple accounts from those who viewed the clip, before raining more blows on the helpless student.

NaijaChoice News gathered that the abductors, who were not masked in the video, have given no deadline but are pressing hard for the ₦30 million ransom. A coursemate, Ezikima Asunga, confirmed the incident publicly, noting that Azi’s family may still be unaware of his plight as direct communication remains cut off.

The development has triggered widespread outrage across Nigeria, with UNIJOS alumni and the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) demanding immediate rescue action from security agencies. Many have described the Kaduna-Jos highway as a death trap, urging the federal and state governments to declare a state of emergency on insecurity in the North-Central region.

As of press time, neither the Plateau State Police Command nor the Nigerian Army has issued any official statement on the kidnapping or confirmed any rescue operation. Social media users have called on authorities to trace the kidnappers using the unmasked footage and the victim’s phone data.

John Arum Azi, described by friends as a hardworking technician specialising in musical equipment repairs, left Jos with every intention of returning home after the assignment. His current ordeal has left students, parents and residents of Plateau State in fear and anger.