The Massacre of Higher Institution Students By Boko Haram, Bandits and Kidnapers in Nigeria: The Victims' Narratives

In recent times, Nigeria has witnessed an astronomical surge in criminality and violence occasioned by the activities of Boko Haram, Banditry and Kidnappers. No day passes-by without various media houses reporting that these hideous groups has killed, kidnapped and even abducted Nigerians for ransom. The most pathetic and unfortunate situation now is their concentration on killing, kidnapping and abduction of secondary and higher institutions students. For instance, some students of Greenfield University, College of Forestry Mechanisation in Kaduna, Abia State University in Abia state and Federal Polytechnic in Akwa Ibom state to mentioned but a few has been kidnapped and some were killed by these groups. Based on this discourse, the study seeks to investigate students’ experience on Boko Haram, Bandits, and Kidnappers’ den. This study is located in qualitative approach. In line with qualitative methods, interpretive paradigm is used as lens to understand and interpret participants’ narratives. Ethical issues were obtained from the participants’ parents, Ministry of Education and the participants before structured interview was administered on them. In fact, ten participants who were kidnapped or abducted, later freed were selected for the study. Data were transcribed, coded and emerging themes were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings indicated that students were always abducted in the night and lectures’ time. Additionally, students were subjected to inhuman treatment such as physical torture, rape and starvation. Based on the grounds that university campuses have been as theatre of death instead of citadel where scientific knowledge is acquired, it is recommended among others that more security agents should be sent to the universities to ensure that life and property of students are protected from the insurgents.