The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Joint Campus Council, Lagos, has condemned what it described as worsening insecurity on federal highways after its leaders narrowly escaped a kidnap attempt along the Ilesa axis of Osun State.

The students were travelling from Lagos to attend the South-West Zone D Convention at Ekiti State University when they reportedly drove into an ambush late Friday night following a two-hour delay caused by a mechanical fault.

In a statement issued Tuesday by its Public Relations Officer, Ridwan Ajayi, the association said suspected kidnappers concealed in nearby bushes suddenly emerged, flashing torchlights at the vehicle and attempting to block its movement.

The group said the driver acted swiftly, reversing toward the attackers and creating enough space to break through the ambush. “We escaped by inches and by grace,” the statement noted, describing the incident as a split-second decision between captivity and survival.

NANS alleged that the attackers remained on the highway for hours after their escape and that no security personnel were sighted during the ordeal. The students said they later observed signs suggesting other travellers may have fallen victim.

Describing the development as a “glaring collapse” of intelligence gathering and highway patrol, the association warned that students across the country may be compelled to mobilise if urgent steps are not taken to secure federal roads and known flashpoints. (The Sun)