Ebun Olowu
Armed men invaded the staff quarters of Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic, Zaria, Kaduna State on Saturday, November 14, 2020 and shot one person and abducted three others.
One of the abducted is the Head of Department, Computer Engineering, Engr. Bello Atiku.
The gunmen were said to have arrived at the staff quarters around 10pm, and shot one of the residents, Sanusi Hassan who works at registry unit of the institution in the hand while attempting to escape from being kidnapped.
Two of his children were taken away by the gunmen.
The incident is coming barely a week after the school resumed for academic activities following a long break due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Engr. Atiku’s wife, Khadija Suleiman, said her husband had returned home after 8 pm and put on the generator.
“He then spent a few minutes speaking on the phone with one of his bosses,” she said.
Khadija explained that soon after the phone call, her husband had his meal, when someone banged on their door.
“At that time, I asked him if he had locked the door with the key when he came in and he said no. So I told him to check the door perhaps one of our neighbours wanted something; that was a few minutes to 9 pm.”
She said unknown to both of them, the gunmen had already invaded their compound, leveraging on the sound of the generator.
“I heard my husband scream and he came back into the house saying Innalillahi Wa Inna Ilaihi Rajiun (from Allah we came and to Him we shall return) while two men with guns trailed him.
“They came to the sitting room and told us to lie on the floor. They took our phones but left the laptop. One of them asked for money and I told them we don’t have money and so he slapped me. But the other man told him to leave me alone. They now asked my husband to wear his shoes and they left with him,” she said.
Khadija explained that a similar incident had occurred within the quarters about two years ago when a woman was abducted.
She said she never thought they will be victims of kidnapping also.
Nuhu Bamali Polytechnic is an institution with its main campus located along Kaduna-Zaria road with additional campuses at Tudun Wada Gaskiya, and Samaru Kataf, in Zangon Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
