THE Nigerian Army has rescued four students of the Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, who were reportedly kidnapped late Saturday, October 14.
This was disclosed in a statement on Sunday, October 15, by Yahaya Ibrahim on behalf of the Force Information Officer, Operation Hadarin Daji.
Around 9 p.m. on Saturday, some students were reportedly kidnapped from an off-campus dormitory in Gusau’s Sabon Garin Damba neighbourhood, a few kilometres from the university’s main campus.
Ibrahim claimed that the Nigerian Police and the Army joined forces to create a blocking position near a potential retreat path leading to a gunfight with the militants.
“In their timely and swift response to distress calls, the combined troops of operation Hadarin Daji in conjunction with Nigerian police in Zamfara state has again rescued four kidnapped students of the Federal University Gusau who were abducted by terrorists at the dark hours on Saturday, October 14 2023, from their off-campus residence at Sabon Gida under Damba area of Gusau LGA in Zamfara state.
“This was achieved as the troops responded swiftly to distress calls on the kidnapped students by terrorists. Troops immediately mobilised and formed a blocking position at a possible withdrawal route, leading to a heavy gun duel with the terrorists,” the Army stated.
The statement added that the superiority of the troops forced the terrorists to abandon the victims and flee.
It added that during the encounter with the terrorists around 12 a.m., two students could escape while the troops safely rescued the other two students, a male and a female.
The ICIR reported how bandits abducted several Federal University of Gusau students.
The bandits invaded the private hostels of the students in the Sabon-Gida community of the Bungudu Local Government Area of the state in the early hours of Friday, September 22. Sabon-Gida is a few meters away from the university.
Sources in the school disclosed to The ICIR that the bandits went away with no fewer than 25 students (predominantly female students).
Although the number of students abducted by the bandits was believed to be higher, it wasn’t the first time terrorists would kidnap students from the university.
Shortly after they were kidnapped, security forces rescued six of the abductees (all females).
The ICIR reported that the security forces – Joint Task Force of Operation Hadarin Daji – rescued seven more students from their captors, according to Zagazola Makama, a publication specialising in counter-insurgency in the Lake Chad region.
On Friday, June 16, bandits kidnapped five students from the institution. The incident led to student protests, resulting in a road blockade and leaving many motorists stranded for several hours.
A reporter with the ICIR
A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance