Army rescues four kidnapped Zamfara students

By Ajisafe Olayiwola

The Nigerian Army says its men have rescued four students of the Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State, who were reportedly kidnapped late Saturday.

This was made known on Sunday in a statement by Capt. Yahaya Ibrahim, on behalf of the Force Information Officer, Operation Hadarin Daji.

The two students, according to an eyewitness account, male and female, were abducted in their off-campus hostel in the Sabon Garin Damba area of Gusau, a few kilometres away from the university’s permanent site around 9 pm, PUNCH reports.

The eyewitness claimed several gunshots were fired by the security personnel aimed at scaring away the bandits but they (bandits) succeeded in taking away the two students.

Ibrahim stated that the army worked collaboratively with men of the Nigeria Police, and formed a ” blocking position at a possible withdrawal route,” leading to a gun duel with the terrorists.

The statement read in parts, “In their timely and swift response to distress calls, the combined troops of operation Hadarin Daji in conjunction with Nigerian police in Zamfara state has again rescued four kidnapped students of the Federal University Gusau who were abducted by terrorists at the dark hours on Saturday, 14 October 2023, from their off-campus residence at Sabon Gida under Damba area of Gusau LGA in Zamfara state.

“This was achieved as the troops responded swiftly to distress calls on the kidnapped students by terrorists. Troops immediately mobilised and formed a blocking position at a possible withdrawal route which led to a heavy gun duel with the terrorists.

“Troops’ superiority forced the terrorists to abandon the victims and flee. During the encounter with the terrorists around 12 am, two of the students were able to escape while the other two students, a male and a female, were safely rescued by the troops.”