Gunmen invade Zaria polytechnic, kidnap three

Some gunmen suspected to be kidnappers reportedly invaded the Nuhu Bamalli Polytechnic in the ancient city of Zaria, Kaduna State, kidnapping three persons.

The incident, which took place on Saturday night, happened as students are resuming after the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Rector of the Polytechnic, Kabir Abdullahi, who confirmed the incident to journalists, said the gunmen gained access to the school around 9 pm.

Abdullahi said one of the lecturers was abducted along with two of his children.

He gave the name of the lecturer as Bello Atiku, who is also the Head of the Department of Computer Engineering of the school.

The Rector added that another staff of the school, Sanusi Hassan, was shot in the hand and narrowly escaped being taken away by the kidnappers.

Hassan, he said, had been rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.

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

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

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

The Rector further decried the porous nature of the school had exposed the polytechnic community to danger.

According to him, despite the vast land and the nearby forest, the polytechnic is unfenced, a situation that mitigates risk to occupants.

The Kaduna Police Command through its Public Relations Officer, Mohammed Jalige, had yet to confirm the incident to our correspondent as he neither picked nor respond to a text message to his phone on the matter.