Suspected bandits have abducted six students of Federal Polytechnic, Kauran Namoda, Zamfara State, following an attack on their off-campus residence located on the outskirts of the Low-Cost area of Kaura Namoda town.
The incident, which occurred in the early hours of the day, has prompted a coordinated rescue operation by security agencies aimed at securing the safe release of the victims.
Confirming the development, the member representing Kaura Namoda South Constituency in the Zamfara State House of Assembly, Hon. Mannir Haidara Kaura, said security operatives had already swung into action.
“The incident occurred, and security operatives are currently carrying out rescue operations to ensure the safe return of the kidnapped students,” he said.
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A student of the institution, Ibrahim Ahmad, disclosed that one of the abducted students managed to escape from the captors, leaving three male and three female students still in captivity.
Meanwhile, a group under the aegis of Concerned Citizens of Kaura Namoda has expressed concern over what it described as the deteriorating security situation in the area, allegedly linked to the activities of a notorious bandit leader, Kachalla Bello Dansadiya, and his gang.
In a statement, the group recalled previous kidnapping incidents in the area, including the abduction of two senior lecturers who reportedly spent more than two months in captivity despite the payment of ransom.
The group also cited the kidnapping of three residents and a district head from his residence near a military base, noting that the victims were allegedly still being held in a known bandit camp around Dajin Yamma.
“Alarmingly, all these victims are reportedly still being held in a well-known bandit camp around Dajin Yamma, yet no rescue operations have taken place. Where are the fighter jets and armoured vehicles?” the group queried.
The Zamfara State Police Command also confirmed the abduction and assured residents that efforts were underway to rescue the victims.
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said the attack occurred at the students’ residence located outside the institution’s campus, adding that one victim escaped while six others remained in captivity.
According to him, the institution itself remains adequately secured against external threats.
“The school premises have been fortified with adequate security personnel, making it extremely difficult for bandits to penetrate,” he said.
Abubakar explained that preliminary investigations indicated that one of the students stepped outside during the night and inadvertently left the door open.
“One of the students went outside during the night, claiming he wanted to urinate. In the process, he left the door open. Coincidentally, bandits passing through the area entered the house and abducted the students,” he stated.
He added that operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), in collaboration with troops of Operation Fansan Yamma, had launched a coordinated operation to rescue the abducted students and apprehend the perpetrators.
“Our VCRU personnel, together with troops of Operation Fansan Yamma, are working to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students,” Abubakar reiterated.
(Trust)