Armed men have abducted six students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, in Zamfara State following an early morning attack on their off-campus residence.
The incident occurred in the early hours of Wednesday at a student lodge located on the outskirts of the Low-Cost area in Kaura Namoda.
Sources within the community said the attackers initially seized seven students during the raid. However, one of the victims reportedly escaped shortly after the abduction, leaving three male and three female students in captivity.
The latest attack adds to growing concerns over the security of students in tertiary institutions, particularly those living outside campus premises.
Confirming the incident, the Zamfara State Police Command said security operatives had launched a rescue operation to secure the release of the victims.
The Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Yazid Abubakar, stated that the students were taken from their residence by the gunmen and assured that efforts were underway to track down the kidnappers and rescue the victims unharmed.
The abduction came hours after another kidnapping incident was reported in Oyo State, where Busayo Adegoke John-Paul, sister of former Minister of Power and Oyo governorship aspirant, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, was reportedly abducted alongside her twin children in Ibadan.
The victims were said to have been seized by armed men around 7:30 a.m. while she was taking her children to school.
The incidents have heightened concerns over the rising wave of kidnappings across the country.
On Tuesday, members of the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) staged protests in several states over the abduction of students and teachers in Oyo and Borno states, while the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity.
Security agencies have yet to provide further details on the ongoing rescue efforts in Zamfara and Oyo as anxious families await the safe return of the victims.
