Unknown gunmen, suspected to be terrorists, have abducted two female students from Al-Qalam University in Katsina State.
The victims, identified as Habiba Ango Shantali and Maryam Abubakar Musa, were taken on their way back to school on Monday, January 15.
The President of the National Association Of Niger State Students (NANISS), Comrade Gambo Idris Shehu, confirmed the incident in a statement signed by the Secretary-General, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim.
The statement reads, “The National Executives Council just received the sad news that two of our students from Niger State who are studying at Al- Qalam University Katsina have been kidnapped on their way back to school.
“The victims, both from Borgu Local Government, are identified as Habiba Ango Shantali, a 200-level student from the Political Science department, and Maryam Abubakar Musa, a 400-level student from the Microbiology department.”
The statement concludes with a plea, “May Allah rescue them from the hands of those notorious people.”
In a separate incident, five female students from the Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA) in Katsina state have also been kidnapped by suspected terrorists.
A spokesperson for the Katsina Police Command, ASP Abubakar Sadiq, confirmed the incident. Sadiq disclosed that one suspect had been arrested in connection with the kidnapping.
Investigations are ongoing, and efforts are being made to rescue the abducted students.
The students were reportedly taken in the early hours of Wednesday around 2:30 a.m. from their residence located behind Mariamoh Ajiri Memorial International School along Tsaskiya Road.
However, these incidents highlight the growing concerns for the safety of students in the region.