At least seven students from a polytechnic institution in northwestern Nigeria have been abducted by armed assailants, police said on Thursday, in the latest attack underscoring the persistent security challenges facing the region.
According to the Zamfara State Police Command, the incident occurred in the early hours of June 3 when suspected bandits raided off-campus student accommodation on the outskirts of the Low-Cost area in Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State.
Police said the gunmen stormed a rented residence housing students at around 4:00 a.m. GMT before taking at least seven victims to an undisclosed location.
Security personnel, including specialized police units and military forces, were dispatched to the area shortly after the attack. However, the kidnappers had already fled by the time security forces arrived at the scene.
Authorities said search-and-rescue operations were underway to locate the students, secure their release, and apprehend those responsible for the abduction.
The kidnapping is the latest in a series of attacks attributed to armed criminal groups operating across northwestern Nigeria. Such groups, commonly referred to as bandits, have carried out numerous kidnappings for ransom, attacks on rural communities, and other violent crimes in recent years.
Zamfara State remains one of the areas most affected by insecurity, despite ongoing military and law enforcement operations aimed at curbing armed violence and restoring stability.
