Gunmen suspected to be bandits have abducted a 300-level student of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina State, identified as Auwal Mas’ud Shitu.
The student, who studies Pure and Industrial Chemistry, was reportedly kidnapped while travelling between Charanchi and Dutsin-Ma on May 17, 2026.
Security analyst Bakatsine disclosed that the abductors later contacted the victim’s family and demanded ₦20 million ransom for his release.
According to reports, the family is struggling to raise the money, while friends and relatives have appealed for prayers and urgent intervention to secure the student’s freedom.
The incident has again raised concerns over worsening insecurity and increasing cases of abductions along roads in parts of northern Nigeria.
Residents lamented that many highways have become dangerous routes for travellers, with families often left to negotiate directly with kidnappers after attacks.
The latest abduction has also sparked renewed criticism over the handling of insecurity, especially repeated cases involving students and commuters across affected states.
Many residents say criminal attacks have continued despite assurances from authorities, arguing that the gap between official statements and realities on the ground remains wide.
