The daughter of a former Vice Chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria, Maryam Abdullahi Mustapha, has been abducted by gunmen who attacked her father’s residence on Friday, February 7. The incident occurred at about 11:30 pm in Hayin Malam Jama’a, Sabon Gari LGA. Maryam, a 35-year-old mother of three who was visiting her father from Lagos, was taken by the gunmen who had sophisticated weapons.
It is reported that the security guard at the residence was shot by the assailants before they abducted Maryam, who is yet to contact the family for ransom demands. An eyewitness recounted the invasion, suspecting an informant who surveyed the area before the gunmen stormed the residence and forcibly took Maryam.
Confirming the abduction, the Kaduna State Police Spokesperson, DSP Yakubu Sabo, disclosed that operatives of the command responded to a distress call and engaged the assailants in a gun battle. As a result, one of the gunmen was killed, and items including an AK47 magazine with live ammunition and a mobile phone handset were recovered from the neutralized attacker. Meanwhile, seven empty shells of AK47 ammunition were found at the scene.
Efforts are underway to rescue Maryam and apprehend the perpetrators. The injured security guard is receiving treatment at ABU Teaching Hospital in Zaria, and the public is urged to provide any useful information that could assist in resolving the case.