Gunmen kidnap five female students in Katsina

Gunmen abducted five female undergraduates of the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) in Katsina State on Wednesday, October 5, 2023.

The students, who were final-year undergraduates, were taken from their hostel behind the temporary site of the institution.

According to the Vice Chancellor of FUDMA, Prof. Hamisu Armayau, the gunmen stormed the hostel around 2 a.m. with automatic weapons and abducted the students. He said that security operatives were making efforts to rescue the students.

The Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Katsina State, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, confirmed the incident and said that some arrests had been made, including a suspected informant of the gunmen. He said that the gunmen invaded the residence of the students behind Mariamoh Ajiri Memorial School, Dutsin-Ma.

The names and states of origin of the abducted students are yet to be officially released, but sources say that three of them are from Kwara State, one from Kano, and one from Niger. It is also unclear whether the gunmen have contacted the families of the victims or demanded any ransom.

The abduction of the students has sparked outrage and condemnation from various groups and individuals, who called on the government to take urgent steps to secure the lives and property of citizens. The Zamfara Conflict Resolution Concern Forum (ZCRC) criticised the handling of the security situation in the state and called for a state of emergency. The group accused the state government of being hypocritical and politicising the issue.