Students residing at the off-campus axis of the Zamfara Federal University Gusau, reportedly heard gunshots at about 10 pm on Thursday, before the invasion by kidnappers into three female hostels.
A 300-level student of the institution who pleaded anonymity due to the severity of the situation revealed this to THE WHISTLER on Friday.
The student said upon hearing the gunshot, they contacted military personnel who assured them that the gunshots were not from their hostel area.
Advertisement
The source said they decided to go to bed, only to be awoken by the noise from the female hostels nearby at about 3 a.m.
“At about 3 a.m., they invaded three hostels occupied by females only.
“Before they entered the first hostel, they entered the house of an indigene of the town and abducted one of his children, a boy.
“So, when they finally invaded the first hostel and started to break into rooms, the female students contacted the caretaker of the house, and he responded.
“He was about to come to their aid only to encounter the bandits. He had to save himself.
“They succeeded in breaking into the hostel and according to the caretaker they abducted 17 students,” the student said.
THE WHISTLER learned that the environment is tense and many students are unable to leave the university community, less than 10 minutes away from the scene of the kidnap.
“At the moment, I have left my hostel off-campus, and I am inside the university. I intend to stay here for a while,” the student said.
THE WHISTLER reports that the troops of the Nigerian Army rescued six female students and killed five bandits during an operation, a few hours after the incident occurred.
The incident comes barely three weeks after a failed attempt to invade a hostel within the university.
Consequently, the Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal has summoned an emergency security meeting following the abductions.
The spokesperson to the Governor, Sulaiman Bala Idris said the meeting is aimed at ensuring the immediate release of all abducted persons and also finding a lasting solution to the lingering issue of insecurity that has become a source of concern to the administration.
The meeting chaired by the Zamfara Deputy Governor, Mani Mallam Mummuni will also ensure that the security agencies are provided the necessary resources to restore normalcy in all affected areas.
The state government further assured the state that the troops of the Nigerian Army are actively pursuing the assailants to ensure the safe rescue of all victims.
Recall that in February 2021, armed men invaded the GGSS Jangebe Secondary School in the state, where they kidnapped 317 female students.