By Abdul-lateef Rukayat
Suspected armed bandits abducted six students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State, on Tuesday night in an attack on their off-campus residence, with security forces now intensifying efforts to rescue the victims.
The Zamfara State Police Command confirmed the incident, noting that seven students were initially taken from the Low-Cost area of Kaura Namoda before one of them escaped during the attack.
Police spokesperson, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said operatives of the Violent Crime Response Unit, in collaboration with troops of Operation Fansan Yamma, have commenced a coordinated search-and-rescue operation in the area and surrounding forest corridors believed to be used by the attackers.
According to him, preliminary findings indicated that the students were abducted after one of them reportedly stepped outside the residence at night and inadvertently left the door unsecured, allowing the attackers to gain access.
Abubakar added that despite the incident, the polytechnic campus itself remains under security surveillance, describing it as “fortified with adequate security personnel.”
The latest abduction has sparked renewed concern within the Kaura Namoda community, with residents describing it as part of a persistent pattern of insecurity affecting students, staff, and rural dwellers in the area.
A local advocacy group, Concerned Citizens Group of Kaura Namoda, attributed the attack to a suspected bandit faction allegedly led by Kachalla Bello Dansadiya, who they claimed has been linked to previous violent incidents in the axis.
The group further alleged that two senior lecturers of the institution abducted over two months ago remain in captivity despite reported ransom payments, calling on security agencies to adopt a more proactive and sustained offensive against bandit enclaves rather than reactive deployments after attacks.
Community members also expressed concern over what they described as the increasing boldness of armed groups operating within proximity to residential communities, despite ongoing security operations in Zamfara State.
As of press time, security authorities had not confirmed any contact with the abductors, and no ransom demand had been reported. Rescue operations, however, were said to be ongoing as security agencies intensify efforts to track the movement of the attackers.
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