At least six students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, in Zamfara State, have been abducted by suspected armed bandits.
The Chairman of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area (LGA), Mannir Haidara, confirmed the incident to Daily Trust, stating that security agencies had been deployed to rescue the students.
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According to the newspaper, residents said the area had been under the siege of armed attackers for some time.
In a statement made available to reporters, a local organisation, Concerned Citizens Group of Kaura Namoda, blamed a bandit faction led by a notorious kingpin, Kachalla Dansadiya, for the frequent attacks on the community.
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According to the group, the abduction of the students is only the latest in a terrifying pattern of violence.
The group stated that before the latest incident, two senior lecturers of the Federal Polytechnic had been in captivity for more than two months, despite ransom payments for their release.
Other residents also noted that another resident, seized during an attack on the Low-Cost housing area, remained in captivity.
In another assault, a district head in his 80s was abducted at his home adjacent to a military base.
Expressing concern over the perceived lack of military intervention, the group highlighted a recent targeted raid:
“Two wives and five family members of a senior paramilitary officer were taken three weeks ago, despite urgent calls made to security forces during the attack.
“Alarmingly, all of these victims are still being held in a well-known bandit camp around Dajin Yamma, yet no rescue operations have taken place. Where are the fighter jets and armoured vehicles?
“Despite numerous complaints and suggestions forwarded to the authorities, nothing has changed. As a result, fearful staff and students are fleeing the town for their own safety”, the group’s statement added.
The group warned that the continuous, unchallenged movement of bandits between the town and their hideouts severely undermines the credibility of the nation’s security apparatus.
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“Allowing these criminals to attack, kidnap, and return to their base unchallenged is an affront to our national security.
“With a military base located near the Low-Cost area, proactive measures must be taken immediately before the bandits attempt something even more embarrassing to our forces.”
With panic rising and the local economy and academic institutions affected, the community appealed to Nigeria’s top security leadership for immediate intervention on the battlefield.
“We are urgently calling on the Ministry of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), the Inspector General of Police (IGP), the SSS, and all relevant authorities to come to our rescue.
“Do not wait for them to strike—take the fight directly to their doorstep, deploy more operatives and equipment, and protect our community and the Polytechnic before frustration drives residents to take matters into their own hands.”
