Al-Qalam University Kidnapping: Five Days Pass with No Word on Abducted Students
Despite the passage of five days, there has been no official report filed with the Katsina State Police Command. ASP Abubakar Aliyu, the command's spokesperson, reiterated the lack of information, leaving the community and the families of the abducted students in an agonizing state of uncertainty.
Binye-lum 
Five days have elapsed since the abduction of three Al-Qalam University students, Habiba Shantali, Mariam Musa, and Yusuf Abdulazeez, by armed bandits near Dutsinma in Katsina State. The university community remains on edge, grappling with uncertainty and fear as there has been no communication or updates regarding the fate of the abducted students.
Shantali, a 200-level Political Science student, and Musa and Abdulazeez, 400-level students of Microbiology and Mathematics, were en route to the campus when their vehicle was ambushed by gunmen. The President of the Niger State Students at Al-Qalam University, Sheu Madiu, confirmed the incident, revealing that the university had not received any information about the students' whereabouts since their abduction.
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Despite the passage of five days, there has been no official report filed with the Katsina State Police Command. ASP Abubakar Aliyu, the command's spokesperson, reiterated the lack of information, leaving the community and the families of the abducted students in an agonizing state of uncertainty.
The university authorities issued a statement on the third day after the incident, stating that the victims' last contact was in Zaria while in transit. However, details regarding the circumstances of their abduction remain scanty, further contributing to the anxiety among students and staff.
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On campus, discussions about the incident persist, with an atmosphere of general anxiety prevailing. While academic activities continue without disruption, the focus remains on the fate of the missing students. Some students, familiar with the notorious banditry along the Dutsinma-Yantumaki-Kankara highway, have shifted to alternative routes due to concerns about safety.
The security situation in Katsina, especially along major highways, continues to be a cause for concern among students. Calls for increased Federal Government intervention and deployment of more troops to the area have been voiced by both students and local residents.
As the days pass without any information on the abducted students, the community intensifies its prayers for their safe release. The university and the families involved anxiously await updates and resolution in this distressing situation.
