Gunmen Abduct Seven Students from Federal Polytechnic Kaura Namoda in Zamfara

Gunmen have abducted seven students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda in Zamfara State — the latest attack on an educational institution in Nigeria’s troubled Northwest.

The attack happened in the early hours of Wednesday when armed men stormed the polytechnic campus, overpowered security at the entrance, and seized students from their hostels before fleeing into surrounding bushland. One of the abducted students, Abdulwahab Ibrahim, escaped from the gunmen, according to the Zamfara State Police Command.

TheCable and Daily Trust, which first reported the incident, described the pattern as alarmingly recurring. Zamfara has been the epicentre of Nigeria’s banditry crisis, with armed groups launching repeated attacks on communities and educational institutions.

Rescue Operation Underway

Security agencies have launched a search and rescue operation to locate the abducted students. The Guardian reported that the Zamfara State Police Command confirmed one student had been rescued and the search for the remaining six continues.

The abduction comes just days after security forces rescued six schoolchildren in Kaduna who had been held for 36 days — a rescue that raised hopes the tide might be turning against criminal groups targeting schools.

The attack has drawn widespread condemnation, with lawmakers and civil society groups renewing calls for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s school security framework. The Senate had earlier passed a resolution demanding federal action on school abductions following the kidnapping of Adelabu’s sister and twin sons in Ibadan on the same day.

Sources: TheCable, Daily Trust, Guardian