Fear grips North-West as gunmen kidnap UDUTH workers along Zamfara route

By our Reporter

Heightened fears over worsening insecurity in Nigeria’s North-West have resurfaced following the abduction of two staff members of Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital, Sokoto, along the notorious Maru–Talata Mafara highway in Zamfara State.

The victims, identified as Malam Abdullahi of the Histopathology Department and Malam Rufae of the Microbiology Department, were reportedly kidnapped by suspected armed bandits while travelling from Abuja to Sokoto after attending a union meeting.
Sources close to the families said the incident occurred along the troubled Maru axis, an area widely known for repeated incidents of banditry, kidnappings and violent attacks on travellers.
According to relatives and associates of the victims, the abductors have already contacted the families and are demanding N10 million ransom for each of the victims.
“The kidnappers have reached out to the families and demanded N10 million from each side. The development has thrown the families into serious distress, and they are appealing to security agencies and well-meaning Nigerians to urgently intervene,” a source close to the victims disclosed.
The incident has generated anxiety among staff members of the teaching hospital and residents of Sokoto State, many of whom described the abduction as another indication of the growing insecurity confronting commuters across highways in the North-West region.
The Maru–Talata Mafara road has remained one of the major hotspots of armed banditry in Zamfara State despite ongoing military operations and security efforts aimed at restoring peace to the area. Travellers and transport operators have repeatedly expressed concerns over persistent attacks, ambushes and kidnappings along the route.
Colleagues of the abducted health workers described the incident as tragic and unfortunate, noting that the victims were returning from an official assignment centred on workers’ welfare when they were intercepted by gunmen.
“It is painful because these are dedicated health personnel committed to saving lives. They were simply returning home after a legitimate assignment when they were abducted by criminals,” another associate lamented.
When contacted, the Public Relations Officer of the teaching hospital, Malam Mansur Wadata, confirmed the incident but declined to provide further details, citing ongoing efforts and negotiations involving the abductors, the families and the hospital management.
As of the time of filing this report, security authorities had yet to release an official statement regarding the abduction.