Gunmen abduct seven Polytechnic students in Zamfara

Fresh concerns over insecurity have emerged in Zamfara State following the abduction of seven students of the Federal Polytechnic Kaura Namoda by suspected gunmen who reportedly invaded their residence in the early hours of Wednesday.

The students were reportedly kidnapped when armed men stormed their off-campus residence located on the outskirts of the Low-Cost area.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, Mannir Haidara Kaura, said security agencies had already commenced operations aimed at rescuing the victims and ensuring their safe return

According to him, security personnel are actively pursuing the abductors while efforts are being intensified to secure the release of the students.

A student of the institution, Ibrahim Ahmad, disclosed that one of the abducted students managed to escape from the kidnappers, leaving six others, three males and three females in captivity.

The latest abduction has triggered outrage among residents, with the Concerned Citizens of Kaura Namoda lamenting what they described as the deteriorating security situation in the area. The group alleged that notorious bandit leader Kachalla Bello Dansadiya and his gang were behind a series of attacks and kidnappings in the community.

In a statement, the group recalled previous incidents, including the abduction of two senior lecturers who spent more than two months in captivity despite ransom payments. It also referenced the kidnapping of three residents and a district head from a location close to a military formation.

The group questioned the effectiveness of ongoing security operations, alleging that several victims remain held in a known bandit enclave around Dajin Yamma without any successful rescue mission.

Read also:DataPro outlines key drivers of sovereign credit ratings

The Zamfara State Police Command also confirmed the abduction. The command’s spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said the incident occurred at the students’ rented accommodation outside the institution’s main campus.

Abubakar noted that one victim escaped shortly after the attack, while security operatives have intensified efforts to rescue the remaining students. He emphasized that the polytechnic campus itself remains secure due to the deployment of adequate security personnel.

Providing details of the incident, the police spokesman said preliminary findings indicated that one of the students had stepped outside during the night and inadvertently left the door open, creating an opportunity for the attackers to gain access to the residence.

He added that operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit, working alongside troops of Operation Fansan Yamma, had launched a coordinated operation to track down the kidnappers and secure the release of the students.