Armed attackers stormed a student residence in Nigeria’s northwest region and abducted seven students, according to local police authorities.
The raid took place in the early morning hours on Wednesday in Kaura Namoda, located in Zamfara state, which has been plagued by ongoing conflict, police spokesman Yazid Abubakar reported in an official statement. One student managed to flee during the attack and is now being held in protective custody.
According to the police spokesman, authorities are uncertain about the location where the abducted students were transported, though rescue operations are currently in progress to locate the six remaining victims.
The region of Zamfara has become a center of activity for criminal organizations that conduct kidnapping operations to collect ransom payments, with student abductions becoming more frequent throughout Nigeria in recent years.
Research conducted by local news organization Premium Times revealed that no fewer than 1,900 students have been taken from 20 educational institutions since the large-scale 2014 kidnapping of more than 200 female students from Chibok in Borno state.
