On Friday, at least 35 people, including students and staff members of a university in Nigeria's northwestern state of Zamfara, were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen.
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According to Mugira Yusuf, spokesperson for Zamfara State governor, 24 students, 10 workers, and a security guard of the Federal University Gusau were taken hostage by the heavily armed gunmen who attacked some hostels in the Sabon-Gida area of the state.
"The security forces have launched a search for the victims, as well as making efforts to arrest the attackers," Yusuf said.
According to official reports, local police have yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
"The armed bandits arrived on motorcycles and started shooting sporadically, that's when I woke up," Hussaini Abubakar, a student who lives in a nearby hostel, said adding that "they went to the girls' hostels near the campus, breaking windows and doors and shouting for the students to come out."
Another student, who identified himself as Sodiq Moshood, said he was woken by the sound of gunfire.
"I was very scared and the gunshots lasted several minutes. It was around 3am (local time) and there was commotion outside," Sodiq said.
Official data shows that Nigeria's northwestern region has been plagued by banditry, kidnappings, and other criminal activities in recent years.