Oguejiofor Ujam, a professor and dean of the School of General Studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, has escaped from captivity after being kidnapped on Sunday along the Opi-Nsukka-Ugwogo-Nike Road in Enugu State.

Police spokesperson Daniel Ndukwe announced the escape on Tuesday, revealing that a police operation had inadvertently led to Ujam’s release.

The lecturer reportedly escaped after police officers foiled a separate kidnapping attempt on Monday night in the Neke-Uno area. Following a gunfight, the suspects fled, abandoning an AK-47 rifle, magazines, and ammunition. This engagement enabled Ujam to break free from his captors, though the suspects remain at large.

The Opi-Nsukka-Ugwogo-Nike Road, which has recently become a hotspot for kidnappings, also saw the abduction of an FRSC official on Saturday. In response, Commissioner of Police Kanayo Uzuegbu has ordered additional police deployments along the road to curb the rising attacks on civil servants, students, and other residents.