Two female students at Al-Qalam University in Katsina State have been reportedly kidnapped by gunmen suspected to be bandits.
The victims, Habiba Ango Shantali and Maryam Abubakar Musa, were kidnapped on their way back to school on Monday.
The incident was confirmed by the president of the National Association of Niger State Students, Comrade Gambo Idris Shehu, in a statement signed by the Secretary-General, Comr. Mohammmed Ibrahim.
The statement read, “The National Executives Council just received 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 are Habiba Ango Shantali, a 200-level student from the Political Science department, and Maryam Abubakar Musa, a 400-level student from the department of Micro Biology. They are both from Borgu Local Government.
“May Allah rescue them from the hands of those notorious people.”
This incident comes amid a surge in kidnappings particularly in Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, with about 15 victims still in captivity. This has driven residents to live in fear and apprehension.
In the past three years, Abuja has witnessed nearly 50 kidnapping incidents involving over 200 individuals.
From January 2021 to June 30, 2023, around 40 cases were recorded, affecting 236 victims.
Furthermore, between October and December 2023, there were 13 reported incidents, leading to 80 victims. These events unfolded in Gbau, Kuje, Gauge, Pegi, Abaji, Keti, and Kwali without effective intervention from security agencies.
The repercussions extended to significant economic losses, including a confirmed ransom payment totaling N653.7 million between 2021 and 2022.
