Gunmen have abducted five female students of Federal University Dutsin-Ma (FUDMA), Katsina State. The students, said to be final-year undergraduates, were abducted at about 02.00am, yesterday, at their hostel, behind the temporary site of the institution.

The terrorists reportedly stormed the hostel in their numbers, with automatic weapons. According to reports, three of the girls are from Kwara State, one from Kano and one from Niger. Rahmatallahi Adam, Fatima Muhammad and Fatima Bello are reportedly Kwara indigenes, while the rest were yet to be identified at the time of this report.

It is unclear whether the terrorists have made any contact with family members of the victims to demand ransom. Confirming the incident, yesterday, Vice Chancellor of FUDMA, Prof. Hamisu Armayau, said security operatives were making efforts to rescue the students.

Police spokesperson in the state, ASP Abubakar Aliyu, confirmed that five students were abducted, adding that some arrests had been made, including a suspected terrorists' informant.

ZAMFARA Conflict Resolution Concern Forum (ZCRC) has criticised the handling of the kidnap issue and called for a state of emergency. According to the group, the state government is not taking the matter seriously, but politicising the security situation.

Chairman of ZCRC, Tukur Gusau, stated, yesterday: “This contrasts the government's earlier stance opposing negotiations with criminals. It is unfortunate that the government of Dauda Lawal is being hypocritical. We reiterate our demand for the Federal Government to declare emergency in the state as the last resort, if it is really serious about the situation here.”

IN a related development, Governor Dikko Radda of Katsina, yesterday, condoled with the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, over the death of a soldier, L/Cpl. Mohammed Tijani, whose death was confirmed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Mohammed.

According to the statement, Tijani died in the course of current efforts to tackle terrorism in the state. However, the time of his death was not disclosed in the statement.

It reads: “Governor Radda expressed his deepest condolences to the COAS, as well as to the grieving family of L/Cpl. Mohammed Tijani. The governor offered heartfelt prayers for eternal rest for the departed and fortitude for the bereaved family to bear this profound loss.”