Students of the Federal University Gusau in Zamfara State who were abducted by bandits have regained freedom, an unconfirmed source told Saturday PUNCH on Friday.
Three of the abducted students had earlier escaped and returned to the school under military protection.
The source further added that the students, who were rescued by a combined team of security agents, were on their way to Gusau, the state capital.
The source also revealed that two helicopter jets were used to trace the bandits while they were moving to their hideout.
It was learnt that on citing the helicopters, the bandits quickly abandoned their captives and motorcycles and fled into the bush.
Although no official statement was given on the rescue of the abducted students, it generated comments from Facebook users.
Speaking with our correspondent on the phone, the spokesperson of the state police command, ASP Yazid Abubakar, said the security agents deployed to the forest to rescue the students.
He also assured that the students would soon regain freedom.
He said, “We have already sent a combined team of security agents, including the police and the military. I am optimistic that they (students) will soon regain freedom.”
Meanwhile, bandits abducted nine construction workers at the Federal University Gusau.
One of the workers, who gave his name as Ibrahim Mohammed, said the bandits who were on motorcycles arrived at the university in the early hours of Friday.
According to him, immediately after the bandits arrived, they broke into the building where the workers were sleeping and took them away.
Mohammad explained that he had to jump out of the window to escape.
He said, “When they broke into the building, they told us to come out and follow them. I was looking for a way to escape, then suddenly I jumped over the window and one of the bandits fired a shot but could not get me.”
All efforts to get comments from the university proved abortive.
However, one of the security officers in the institution, who preferred to remain anonymous, said, “Please bear with us. I am one of the security officers of this university. You know what happened concerning the abduction of our students and the construction workers.”
