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Seven students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State, were kidnapped when suspected bandits invaded their off-campus residence in Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, with one of the victims later escaping from captivity.
The attack occurred at a student hostel located on the outskirts of the Low-Cost area of Kaura Namoda town, sparking fresh concerns over the security situation in the area.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, Mannir Haidara Kaura, said security agencies had launched operations to rescue the abducted students and ensure their safe return.
According to him, security operatives are actively pursuing the kidnappers and working to secure the release of the victims.
A student of the institution, Ibrahim Ahmad, disclosed that one of the abducted students managed to escape shortly after the attack, leaving three male and three female students still in the custody of the kidnappers.
The incident has drawn reactions from residents, with a civic group, Concerned Citizens of Kaura Namoda, expressing concern over what it described as the deteriorating security situation in the area. The group alleged that a notorious bandit leader, Kachalla Bello Dansadiya, and his gang have continued to terrorise communities with little resistance.
The group cited previous cases of abduction in the area, including the kidnapping of two senior lecturers who reportedly spent more than two months in captivity despite ransom payments. It also recalled the abduction of three residents and a district head from a location close to a military base.
The group questioned the effectiveness of ongoing security operations, claiming that several victims were still being held in a known bandit camp around Dajin Yamma without any successful rescue effort.
The Zamfara State Police Command also confirmed the abduction, saying efforts were underway to rescue the students.
Police spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said the attack took place at the students’ off-campus residence and confirmed that one of the victims had escaped while six others remained in captivity.
He, however, assured that the Federal Polytechnic campus itself remained secure, noting that adequate security personnel had been deployed to prevent any infiltration by criminal elements.
Abubakar explained that preliminary investigations revealed that one of the students had stepped outside during the night and inadvertently left the door open, creating an opportunity for the bandits to gain access to the residence.
He added that operatives of the Command’s Violent Crime Response Unit (VCRU), working alongside troops of Operation Fansan Yamma, had launched a coordinated rescue mission aimed at securing the release of the abducted students unharmed.
