Four students from the Federal University, Dutsinma (FUDMA), residing in the Paris Quarters area of Dutsinma, Katsina State, were abducted by armed bandits in the early hours of Sunday.
The attack reportedly occurred around 2:20 a.m. when heavily armed assailants, wielding AK-47 rifles and disguised in an attempt to evade suspicion, invaded the area and took the students hostage.
Security operatives were promptly mobilized following a distress call, but the attackers had already fled with their victims before reinforcements could arrive.
The whereabouts of the abducted students remain unknown, and authorities are yet to issue an official statement on efforts to secure their release.
Dutsinma is one of Katsina State’s frontline local government areas facing persistent security challenges, including banditry and cattle rustling, despite ongoing government and security interventions.
Neither the state police spokesman, DSP Abubakar Sadiq, nor government officials had reacted to the incident.
However, sources indicate that security agents have launched a move to rescue the abducted students unharmed.
Nigeria has been plagued by a disturbing surge in student abductions in recent years, highlighting the country’s worsening insecurity.
In April 2021, Greenfield University in Kaduna State fell victim to a brazen attack by gunmen, who abducted at least 20 students and two staff members. The ordeal took a devastating turn when three of the kidnapped students were found dead days later.
After a harrowing month-long captivity, the remaining 14 students were finally released.
In May 2024, Confluence University in Kogi State witnessed the abduction of at least nine students from their classrooms.
Also, four female students of the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University in Makurdi, Benue state were abducted in February 2025.
