At least six students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda in Zamfara State, have been abducted by suspected armed bandits.
The Chairman of Kaura Namoda Local Government Area, Mannir Haidara, confirmed the incident on Wednesday, saying security agencies had been deployed to track and rescue the victims.
Residents said the area has been under repeated attacks by armed groups, raising growing concerns over insecurity in the community.
A local group, Concerned Citizens Group of Kaura Namoda, in a statement, alleged that a bandit leader identified as Kachalla Dansadiya was behind several recent attacks in the area.
The group described the abduction of the students as part of a broader pattern of escalating violence in the region.
It claimed that prior to the latest incident, two senior lecturers of the polytechnic had remained in captivity for over two months despite reported ransom payments.
The group also said another resident abducted from the Low-Cost housing area was still being held, while an elderly district head in his 80s was taken from his home near a military base.
It further alleged that two wives and five relatives of a senior paramilitary officer were abducted in a separate attack three weeks ago, despite distress calls to security agencies during the incident.
“Alarmingly, all of these victims are still being held in a well-known bandit camp around Dajin Yamma, yet no rescue operations have taken place,” the group said.
It questioned the absence of swift security response, noting that repeated attacks had forced students and staff to flee the town in fear.
The group warned that the continued movement of armed groups between communities and forest hideouts was eroding public confidence in the country’s security system.
It urged security authorities to take decisive action, warning that failure to act could worsen the situation.
“With a military base located near the Low-Cost area, proactive measures must be taken immediately before the bandits attempt something even more embarrassing to our forces,” the statement added.
The group called on the Ministry of Defence, the Chief of Defence Staff, the Inspector-General of Police, the Department of State Services and other security agencies to urgently intervene and secure the release of all abducted victims.
It also warned that rising frustration among residents could lead to desperate reactions if the situation persists.
