Gunmen on Thursday attacked the students’ quarters at Bilyaminu Usman Polytechnic, Hadejia, located along the road to Mallam Madori in Jigawa State.

The attackers reportedly assaulted several students and snatched numerous phones, as their attempt to abduct some of the victims were unsuccessful due to their cries for help.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said, “It was around midnight when the attackers came; they caused chaos, injured some students, and took many phones belonging to the students away.”

Another eyewitness, Tukur Danlami, added, “If it wasn’t for the shouts and screams of the students, we wouldn’t have known what happened. Neighbours from nearby communities rushed to help, forcing the attackers to flee.”

Confirming the incident on Friday, the Jigawa State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Shi’isu Adam, said, “We have received reports of the attack and have begun investigations while increasing security measures to apprehend the culprits.”

Adam stated that the incident occurred on Thursday, adding that it happened at an off-campus male location rented by the students, not far from the institution.

Describing the area, the PPRO said, “The location is quite isolated, which made it vulnerable to the assault by the armed men.”

He noted that policemen stationed nearby rushed to the scene upon receiving reports of the attack.

“From our record, two students were seriously injured. They were promptly taken by the police to the Hadejia General Hospital for medical treatment. As I am speaking to you this evening (Friday), the injured and admitted students taken to the hospital have been discharged by a medical doctor.”

The police spokesperson assured that investigations were ongoing to apprehend the attackers.

Efforts by our correspondent to reach the management of Bilyaminu Usman Polytechnic for comments on the attack proved unsuccessful.

Meanwhile, a prominent youth leader in the area, Garba Ibrahim, in a telephone interview with Saturday PUNCH, expressed concern over the midnight attack.

He said, “The people here are terrified. Such attacks disrupt peace and threaten the safety of our youths. We call on the government and security agencies to take urgent and concrete steps to protect the students and residents alike.

“It is crucial that the authorities increase patrols and install more security measures around the institution. The community is ready to cooperate fully with security agents to ensure such dangerous incidents do not happen again.” (Saturday PUNCH)