Gunmen break into polytechnic in Kaduna, abduct lecturer, two children

Two children and a staff of the Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria, Kaduna state, have been abducted.

An official of the school identified as Sunusi Hassan, who escaped being abducted, was shot on the hand and is now receiving treatment at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika, Zaria.

TheCable gathered that gunmen invaded the staff quarters of the main campus of the institution, owned by the Kaduna state government, around 9pm on Saturday.

Kabir Abdullahi, rector of the Polytechnic, confirmed the incident, saying the attackers gained entrance into the school premises on Saturday night.

“I was in Kaduna when the Chief Security Officer of the college called me and informed me about the attack,” he said.

“It is true that the bandits have kidnapped one of my staff, Engineer Bello Atiku who is the Head of Department, Computer Engineering in the school.

“He was also kidnapped along with two children to an unknown destination.”

The rector attributed the incident to the porous nature of the school which, according to him, exposed the polytechnic community to unforeseen danger.

He said, despite the vast land and the forest, the school is unfenced, thereby making it prone to danger.

He appealed to the polytechnic community to remain calm, saying security operatives are on top of the situation.

Mohammed Jalige, spokesman of the Kaduna police command, did not respond to telephone calls and a text message sent to his mobile phone.

Despite efforts by security agencies to contain the situation in Kaduna, suspected bandits have continued to wreak havoc on residents.

Many people, especially, in some suburbs within Kaduna metropolis, have abandoned their homes “to safer locations,” due to persistent invasion and abduction.