Bandits abduct varsity lecturers, family in Katsina

.Military vows to secure Taraba

Bandits abducted two staff members of Federal University, Dutsinma (FUDMA), and another person in the early hours of Monday in Katsina State.

According to reports, the incident occurred around 1.30 a.m.
Those abducted included a lecturer with the Department of Economics, Prof. Richard Kyaram, and his son identified as Solomon, as well as another staff of the Registry Department, named Dr Hamza.

The victims were living at the Government Reserved Area (GRA) in Dutsinma council area as at the time of their abduction.

Sources said the armed hoodlums stormed the locality in their numbers, undertook house-to-house search and disposed residents of mobile sets, money and other personal effects.

“The victims were later forced from their homes and moved away to an unknown destination,” one of the sources said.

In early October last year, terrorists had abducted five female students of the institution from their lodge located behind the institution.

At least four of the female students spent 50 days in captivity, with ransom said to be in hundreds of millions of naira, reportedly paid before their release.

Spokespersons for the police and the institution, ASP Abubakar Aliyu and Habibu Umar respectively, did not immediately respond to inquiries on the issue.

However, the varsity’s Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Armaya’u Bichi, while confirming the incident yesterday, narrated: “It happened in the early morning of June 3 in the GRA quarters, Dutsinma.

“They went to one Prof. Kyaram, who is from the Department of Economics and they took him and his son.

“Then two if his neighbours, one Hamza from Registry Department, came out to rescue him, but he too was taken.

“Then another neighbour also from the Registry Department, Mr Zira, was supposed to be abducted but he resisted and they beat him up.

“When they heard police coming, they left him and went away with the three people, two staff and the son of the professor.

“We have reported the matter to the Ministry of Education, police DSS, Army, and every other relevant person. They are now on their trail.”

He confirmed that no calls had been received regarding ransom payment.
Meanwhile, Commander of the 6 Brigade/Sector 3 Operation WHIRL STROKE in Taraba state, Brigadier General Kingsley Uwa, has, again, vowed that his men will continue to work round the clock to ensure the safety of residents.

The commander, alongside his troops, visited several remote villages in the Lau and Karim-Lamido local councils yesterday.
The operational trip, according to him, is to demonstrate the Army’s unwavering commitment to the security of life and property across the nooks and crannies of the state.

He said:”The visit was to reassure the local communities of the unwavering commitment of troops to securing the citizens and to strengthen the partnership between the Nigerian Army and the communities to flush out criminal elements hibernating within the general area.”