SSS rescues last four kidnapped Zamfara polytechnic students

The State Security Service (SSS) has rescued the four remaining students of the Federal Polytechnic, Kaura Namoda, who were taken by suspected armed bandits in Zamfara State.

The security agency stated that the students were freed during a planned, intelligence-led operation, and no ransom was paid.

The SSS reported that one suspected member of the kidnapping gang was arrested during the operation. Others were “neutralised,” according to a report by the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on Thursday.

The term “neutralised” is often used by Nigerian security agencies to mean that suspects were killed during an operation. The agency did not share the specific location or date of the rescue. It also did not name the arrested suspect, reveal how many suspected kidnappers were killed, or give details about the condition of the rescued students.

Seven-week ordeal

The students were kidnapped during an attack that started on the night of June 2 and went into the early hours of June 3.

Armed men attacked a rented off-campus house in the Low-Cost area of Kaura Namoda and initially took seven students.

The Zamfara State Police Command said at the time that one student escaped while the attackers were leaving with the others, leaving six in captivity.

Security forces, including troops from Operation Fansan Yamma, later joined the response efforts in the area. Two of the six students eventually regained their freedom, though details of how and when this happened were not made public.

With this latest rescue, all seven students taken during the attack are now free. The four rescued by the SSS spent about seven weeks in captivity.

PREMIUM TIMES reported that the abduction raised concerns among residents and the polytechnic community about the ongoing attacks in Kaura Namoda and nearby areas.

At the time of the abduction, a local group called Concerned Citizens of Kaura Namoda highlighted the activities of bandit leader Kachalla Bello Dansadiya and his gang in the region.

The group also pointed out that two senior lecturers at the polytechnic had been in captivity for over two months despite reported ransom payments by their families and friends.

They mentioned other abductions, including an elderly district head and relatives of a paramilitary officer, as signs of worsening security in the area.

National Assembly intervention

The students’ kidnapping was part of a series of attacks that led the House of Representatives to summon Nigeria’s service chiefs and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, in June.

During discussions, lawmakers described the insecurity in Zamfara and other parts of the North-west as a growing humanitarian crisis and a national security issue.

They specifically mentioned the abduction of the Federal Polytechnic students and called for more personnel and operational equipment to be sent to affected states.

The House also urged the government to improve intelligence gathering, surveillance, and other security measures while tackling the economic and social conditions that allow armed groups to operate in the region.

Recent SSS operations

The Kaura Namoda operation happened just days after the SSS announced the rescue of Samuel Okunsebor, dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

Mr Okunsebor, a professor, was abducted from Mile Uku, a community between Lafia and Nasarawa Eggon local government areas.

He was later rescued and returned to his family, while two suspected kidnappers were arrested.

The SSS described this operation as part of its ongoing fight against kidnapping and other security threats across the country.