Once more, an unspecified number of students of the Federal University of Gusau were kidnapped in the early hours of Friday.
A significant number of armed bandits launched an invasion on the Sabon-Gida community within the Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
According to Nazeer Sabon-Gida, a resident of Sabon-Gida, the assailants entered the community at approximately 3 am and began firing shots without discrimination.
He stated that the bandits targeted three student hostels, and subsequently abducted all the occupants.
“They entered the town around 3 am and started shooting indiscriminately,” he said.
“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.”
According to reports, another source said that the bandits were engaged with troops of the Nigerian Army in a fierce gun battle but that did not stop the bandits from escaping with the kidnapped victims.
“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,” he said.
“The first group had left with the students while the second group engaged the army in a gun duel.”
Back in June, a group of university students voiced their concerns through protests regarding the frequent abductions of their fellow students in Sabon-Gida and Damba.
Sabon-Gida village is situated directly across from the main campus of the Federal University of Gusau, approximately 20 km away from the state capital, Gusau.
Attempts to contact the school officials proved futile, as the school’s spokesperson, Umar Usman, did not answer numerous phone calls made by our correspondent.
Likewise, the state’s police command has not provided any statement regarding the recent assault.