Six students of the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, have been kidnapped following the invasion of their lodge in Gudi, Akwanga Local Government Area of the state by gunmen, causing panic among students and residents of the area, where there had been growing concerns over the increasing cases of insecurity affecting educational institutions and surrounding communities.
The victims, said to be students at the university’s Faculty of Engineering, were reportedly taken away during the late-night attack Tuesday May 6, 2026.
Newsmata.com.ng reports that the Nasarawa State police commissioner, Shetima Mohammed, who visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation, has however vowed to track down the perpetrators and assured students, residents and members of the university community that the command was fully committed to ensuring the safe rescue of the abducted students.
The Nasarawa State Police Command, in a statement in Lafia on Thursday by the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Rahman Nansel, a superintendent of police, (SP) said the students were kidnapped on Tuesday, May 6, at about 9pm when unidentified armed men stormed a student residential area at Anguwar Ninzo in Gudi, located on the outskirts of the town.
According to the police spokesman, the attackers invaded an off-campus lodge occupied by students of the Faculty of Engineering, Gudi Campus of Nasarawa State University, Keffi, before whisking away the victims to an unknown destination.
Nansel disclosed that six of those abducted had so far been identified as students of the university, while another victim was reportedly a visitor who happened to be at the lodge during the attack.
“The students were abducted on May 6 at about 9pm when unidentified armed hoodlums invaded a students’ off-campus lodge at Anguwar Ninzo, Gudi, on the outskirts of the town,” the statement said.
Following the attack, the Commissioner of Police in Nasarawa State, Shetima Mohammed, reportedly visited the scene for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
During the visit, Mohammed reassured students, residents and members of the university community that the command was fully committed to ensuring the safe rescue of the abducted students.
Nansel stated that the commissioner had also ordered the immediate redeployment of the Area Commander in Akwanga to coordinate rescue and tactical operations in the area pending the release of the victims.
To strengthen the rescue mission, the police said a combined security team comprising personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, the State Security Service (SSS), the military, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), local vigilance groups and other tactical units had been mobilised to comb surrounding forests and suspected hideouts.
“The operation is aimed at tracking down the abductors, rescuing the victims unhurt and bringing the perpetrators to justice,” Nansel stated.
The command appealed to members of the public to remain calm but vigilant, urging residents with useful information that could assist ongoing investigations and rescue operations to report to the nearest police station or relevant security agency.
Authorities also assured that updates would be provided as investigations and rescue efforts continued.
The latest abduction has further heightened concerns over the growing security threats facing students residing in off-campus accommodations, especially in remote university communities vulnerable to attacks by criminal groups.
While anxious families, students and residents await positive news, authorities insist that intensified joint security operations are ongoing to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students and bring those behind the attack to justice.