A group of armed bandits stormed the Sabon-Gida community in Zamfara State, where the Federal University of Gusau is located, and kidnapped an unknown number of students in the early hours of Friday.
The bandits, who came in large numbers, attacked three students’ hostels and took away all the occupants, according to eyewitnesses.
The incident occurred around 3 a.m., when most of the students were asleep.
Nazeer Sabon-Gida, a resident of the community, told Channels TV that the bandits shot sporadically as they invaded the area.
He said it was difficult to determine the exact number of students kidnapped, as the bandits entered all the hostels in the vicinity.
“They entered the town around 3 a.m. and started shooting indiscriminately. We have yet to confirm the number of students kidnapped because the bandits entered three hostels and kidnapped all the students there. It is difficult to ascertain their numbers now,” he said.
Another source said that the bandits encountered resistance from the Nigerian Army troops stationed in the area, but they managed to escape with their captives. He explained that the bandits split into two groups, one to move with the kidnapped victims and the other to engage the army in a gun battle.
“They were seriously engaged with the army troops but the way these bandits operate, they will divide themselves into two, one group will move with the kidnapped victims while the other will stay behind to protect the first group. The first group had left with the students while the second group engaged the army in a gun duel,” he said.
This is not the first time that students of the Federal University of Gusau have been targeted by bandits. In June, some students protested against the frequent kidnapping of their colleagues in Sabon-Gida and Damba, two communities opposite the main campus of the university, which is about 20 km from Gusau, the state capital. The students called on the government and security agencies to protect their lives and property from the menace of banditry.
The abduction of Zamfara University students is part of a series of kidnappings that have plagued schools and colleges in Nigeria, especially in the northern region.
According to UNICEF, more than 1,000 students have been abducted by armed groups since December 2020. Some of them have been released after negotiations or ransom payments, while others are still in captivity or have been killed by their abductors.
The kidnappings have disrupted the education system and created fear and anxiety among students, parents, and teachers.
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