Gunmen abducted seven students from an off-campus residence in northwestern Nigeria’s Zamfara State during an early-morning raid, authorities said, in the latest kidnapping targeting young people in a region plagued by armed criminal gangs.
The attack occurred in the Kaura Namoda area of Zamfara State, where assailants stormed a student residence and forcibly took the victims. One student managed to escape during the attack, while six others remain unaccounted for. Police said a rescue operation has been launched to locate the abducted students and apprehend those responsible. Authorities have not disclosed the identities of the victims, and their whereabouts remain unknown.
Zamfara State is one of several regions in northwestern Nigeria that have been affected by heavily armed gangs, commonly referred to locally as bandits, who frequently carry out kidnappings for ransom, cattle rustling, and attacks on rural communities.
In recent years, schools and student residences have become recurring targets, raising concerns about the safety of students and the effectiveness of security measures. Several high-profile mass abductions from schools across northern Nigeria have drawn international attention and prompted government efforts to strengthen security around educational institutions.
The latest incident underscores the ongoing security challenges facing Nigeria despite repeated military operations aimed at dismantling armed groups operating across the country’s northwest.
