Palpable fear has enveloped the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, over the disappearance of one of its students from the Department of Science Education, simply identified as Francisca Chioma.

Chioma, it was gathered, was on her way to attend a burial ceremony in an undisclosed village outside Awka, Anambra State on Friday, and her whereabouts have remained unknown till now.

One of her schoolmates and a friend, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, disclosed the development to our correspondent on Monday, adding that there were fears she might have been kidnapped.

Although details surrounding the circumstances of her disappearance are still sketchy, while some of her friends fear that she might have been kidnapped, others believe she is simply missing.

The source said, “She is my friend and also a student in my school at the Science Education department. Her name is Francisca Chioma. She left for a funeral ceremony somewhere in a village outside Awka, and there are indications she might have been kidnapped along Omasiunu area in Anambra State.”

When contacted, Emma Ojukwu, the Special Assistant on Public Relations Matters and Special Duty to the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Charles Esimone, referred our correspondent to the institution’s security department.

When contacted on the telephone, the chief security officer of the institution, Ken Chukwurah, confirmed the development.

He said, “Yes, it is true. DSS is fully in the picture since yesterday, and we are working with them. We received information that one of our students was on her way to attend a funeral ceremony in a village outside Awka when the incident happened, and since then, she has not been found.

“It is also important to note that the incident did not happen in the school; we have to be clear about it. We have contacted the relevant security agencies, and the ‘kidnappers’ have contacted the family, although we are not aware if they have requested any ransom or not.”

Efforts to reach the Anambra State police spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, proved abortive as calls and messages to his telephone line were not responded to.