- The troops had earlier rescued six female students on Friday shortly after their abduction, bringing the total number of students rescued so far to 13.
Seven more female students of the Federal University of Gusau (FUGUS) have been rescued by the Joint Task Force (JTF) of Operation Hadarin Daji in Zamfara State.
A resident of Sabon-Gida, identified as Nazeer Sabon-Gida, told newsmen 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 3 am and started shooting indiscriminately,” he said.
“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.”
Another eyewitness disclosed 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.”
Some university students protested the surge of kidnappings in Sabon-Gida and Damba three months ago.
According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region, the seven students were rescued alongside three male workers of Gupran Engineering Services Ltd.
The troops had earlier rescued six female students on Friday shortly after their abduction, bringing the total number of students rescued so far to 13.
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