Bandits invade Zamfara University hostels, abduct over 24 students

Bandits on Friday morning abducted an unspecified number of students from the Federal University of Gusau in Zamfara state.

A student of the school, who asked to be anonymous for security reasons, confirmed that over 24 schoolmates, mostly ladies, were abducted during the attack.

The bandits in large numbers were also said to have invaded the Sabon-Gida community of the Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

A resident of Sabon-Gida identified as Nazeer Sabon-Gida told Channels Television that the gunmen invaded the community around 3 am and started shooting indiscriminately.

According to the report, three students’ hostels were attacked and all the students were carted away by the bandits during the attack.

Another source told the station 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 entered the town around 3 am and started shooting indiscriminately. 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.

“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.

“The first group had left with the students while the second group engaged the army in a gun duel,” a source was quoted as saying, the source said.

In June, some students of the university protested the spate of abductions involving their schoolmates in Sabon-Gida and Damba.

Sabon-Gida village is a community opposite the main campus of the Federal University of Gusau that is about 20 km to the state capital, Gusau.