Seven Students Kidnapped in Zamfara

A criminal gang abducted seven students from a campus in northwestern Nigeria on Tuesday night, police confirmed on Wednesday, marking the latest incident in a string of attacks targeting schools in poorly policed rural areas.

The victims were taken from student housing on the outskirts of the Kaura Namoda administrative area, home to the Federal Polytechnic in Zamfara state.

Zamfara state police spokesperson, Yazid Abubakar, said that the assailants “kidnapped seven students and took them to an unknown location,” successfully evading security forces dispatched to the scene. One student managed to escape unharmed, but efforts to locate the remaining six students continue.

Armed gangs, often referred to as bandits by local authorities, have increasingly raided remote villages in northwestern and central Nigeria, engaging in looting, arson, and kidnappings for ransom. These attacks have raised significant concerns about the safety and security of students, particularly in regions with limited police presence.

The recent abduction has renewed public fears over school security. Earlier this week, hundreds of teachers in major Nigerian cities staged demonstrations to protest ongoing kidnappings and violent attacks on educational institutions. Last month, armed men abducted at least 46 pupils and staff from three schools in Oyo State, an operation the army attributed to jihadist groups. On the same day, at least 42 more children, some as young as two years old, were taken from schools in Borno State.

The final quarter of 2025 saw multiple mass kidnappings, including roughly 24 schoolgirls in Kebbi State in November and the seizure of approximately 300 students and several teachers in Niger State.

These incidents have drawn renewed international attention to Nigeria’s ongoing security crisis and underscored the urgent need for stronger protection measures around schools.

Authorities have appealed for calm and cooperation from local communities while reinforcing security operations to secure the safe return of the abducted students.