Kaduna — Suspected armed bandits yesterday abducted four students in Katsina State.
It was gathered that armed bandits stormed Paris Quarters, behind the Federal University Dutsinma, at about 2:20 am on Sunday in large numbers and whisked away the four students.
The victims include Wali Kayode (25), Fahad Muhammad (20), Emmanuel (surname unknown), and another yet-to-be-identified person.
Security operatives were mobilised to the scene after a distress call was put to them but the bandits had already fled.
Security sources said efforts were ongoing to track down the kidnappers and rescue the victims safely.
In April 2021, gunmen attacked Greenfield University in Kaduna State, abducting at least 20 students and two staff members.
Tragically, three of the kidnapped students were found dead days later.
The remaining 14 students were released after spending over a month in captivity.
In the same month, gunmen kidnapped students from the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi, Benue State.
In May 2024, at least nine students were kidnapped from their classrooms at Confluence University in Kogi State.
In February 2025, gunmen abducted up to four female students from Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University in Makurdi, Benue State.
NANS urges release of students
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students, NANS, has raised the alarm over the incessant kidnapping of students of tertiary institutions in the country, calling on the Federal Government to tackle the menace which has made campuses unsafe for students.
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This came as the student body appealed to the government to speed up efforts in rescuing the four female students of the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State, who were abducted on February 25 by suspected kidnappers on the university campus.
NANS in a statement by its National Vice President, Inter-Campus Affairs, Akinbodunse Felicia, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State, yesterday said "NANS is alarmed at the rate at which students are being abducted on campuses of tertiary institutions in the country. This is not only worrisome, but, an ugly trend that needs to be arrested before it spirals out of control. The recent abduction of four students of the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Makurdi, Benue State, while returning from night study on the campus is heart-rending. One can imagine the psychological trauma and pains the experience would have on both the parents and the abductees.
"It is highly unfortunate that campuses of tertiary institutions that used to be most secure, have now become fertile ground where kidnappers operate. While we condemn this act of wickedness and demand the release of the kidnapped students unhurt, we equally urge the Federal Government, Benue State Government and security agencies, to ensure the safe return of these students."
