Armed kidnappers have abducted seven students from the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda in Zamfara State, though one of the victims later escaped, leaving three male and three female students still in captivity.
Kaura Namoda, regarded as the second-largest city in Zamfara State, is currently under severe pressure from repeated bandit attacks. Reports indicate that armed groups led by notorious kingpin Kachalla Bello Dansadiya have continued to terrorise communities in the area with little resistance.
The latest student abduction is said to be part of a wider and persistent wave of insecurity affecting the region.
It was also gathered that two senior lecturers have remained in captivity for over two months, despite reports that ransom payments were made to secure their release, according to Guardian.
In another incident, a resident is still being held following an attack in the Low-Cost area, while an elderly district head in his 80s was reportedly abducted from his residence located near a military base.
Similarly, two wives and five relatives of a senior paramilitary officer were kidnapped about three weeks ago, even after distress calls were reportedly made to security agencies during the operation.
A concerned resident of Kaura Namoda, Ahmed Kaura, expressed deep frustration over the continued insecurity, alleging that many of the victims are being held in a known bandit camp around Dajin Yamma without any rescue operation.
He questioned the absence of decisive action from security forces, asking, “where are the fighter jets and armored vehicles?”
According to him, repeated complaints and appeals to authorities have yielded no meaningful response, forcing fear among students and staff who are now reportedly fleeing the town for safety.
He further condemned the situation, describing the uninterrupted attacks and kidnappings as a serious challenge to national security.
Kaura stressed that with a military base situated close to the Low-Cost area, urgent and proactive intervention is needed to prevent further embarrassment to security forces.
“We are urgently calling on the Ministry of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the DSS, and all relevant authorities to come to our rescue,” he said.
He urged authorities not to wait for further attacks, but to launch direct operations against the perpetrators in their hideouts, deploy more personnel and equipment, and secure the Polytechnic and surrounding communities before the situation worsens further.
