A final-year Economics student of the Federal University Birnin Kebbi (FUBK), Augustine Madubiya, was abducted in the early hours of Tuesday when gunmen stormed Istijaba Villa, an off-campus students’ residence in Unguwar Jeji.
The attackers also killed a local resident during the raid, which occurred around 3:00am.
Eyewitnesses say the assailants — five in number and armed — targeted students who had been sleeping outside due to the intense heat. Demanding money, the gunmen reportedly turned violent when told there was none.
Amid the chaos, Malam Siddi Hussaini, a resident of the area who was tending to his cattle nearby, intervened but was shot dead by the gunmen.
While Madubiya was seized and taken away by the attackers, another student, Collaneous Steven, a 200-level Business Administration student, narrowly escaped capture.
Following the incident, the Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Muhammad Zaiyan Umar, visited the scene with the Divisional Police Officer of Kalgo and officials from the Department of State Services (DSS).
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He assured students of the institution’s commitment to ensuring their safety.
Professor Umar has also briefed the state government, conveying details of the incident to Governor Nasir Idris through the Secretary to the State Government and the Director of Security Services.
The university acknowledged the support of the District Head of Unguwar Jeji and the local community, while calling for intensified efforts by security agencies to secure Madubiya’s release and forestall future attacks.
Authorities have yet to confirm if contact has been made with the kidnappers.