JTF rescues 6 kidnapped Federal University Gusau students

By Abiodun OBA

Six female students at the Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara, abducted in the early hours of Friday have been rescued by Operatives of the Joint Task Force, Operation Hadarin-Daji.

Force Information Officer, Operation Hadarin-Daji, Cpt. Ibrahim Yahaya confirmed this to the newsmen via telephone on Friday in Gusau.

Yahaya said the troops pursued the abductors who took the students, mostly females, to the forest.

He said that the troops engaged the abductors in a gun duel, supported by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) air component, and rescued six students.

Yahaya further stated that several bandits were neutralised during the rescue effort, which, he said, was still ongoing.

“The troops also recovered one AK-47, a magazine, four motorcycles and one communication gadget from the terrorists,” the officer said.

Efforts to speak with the school authorities on the incident proved abortive, as the institution’s Spokesperson, Umar Usman, did not respond to several calls put through to him.

recall that bandits invaded Sabon-Gida community of the Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Friday abducting more than 24 Federal University of Gusau students.

One of the students in the school told newsmen that over 24 ladies were abducted during the attack n the early hours of Friday.

A resident of Sabon-Gida identified as Nazeer Sabon-Gida also confirmed that the gunmen invaded the community around 3 a.m. and started shooting indiscriminately.

According to him, three students’ hostels were attacked, and the bandits took away all the students.

“They entered the town around 3am and started shooting indiscriminately.

“We have yet to confirm the number of students kidnapped because the bandits entered three hostels and kidnapped all the students there. It is difficult to ascertain their numbers now,” he said.

Another eyewitness told some news media that the bandits were engaged with troops of the Nigerian Army in a fierce gun battle, but that did not stop the bandits from escaping with the kidnapped victims.

“They were seriously engaged with the army troops but the way these bandits operate, they will divide themselves into two, one group will move with the kidnapped victims while the other will stay behind to protect the first group,” he said.

“The first group had left with the students while the second group engaged the army in a gun duel.”

Recall further, that some university students had protested the surge of kidnappings in Sabon-Gida and Damba three months ago.