Two staff members of the Usmanu Danfodiyo University Teaching Hospital (UDUTH), Sokoto, have been abducted by suspected terrorists along the Abuja-Sokoto highway.

The victims, identified as Malam Abdullahi of the Histopathology Department and Malam Rufae of the Microbiology Department, were reportedly intercepted while returning to Sokoto after attending a union meeting in Abuja.

The incident occurred along the notorious Maru–Talata Mafara axis in Zamfara State, a corridor that has seen a recent surge in banditry and violent attacks on commuters.

According to family sources, the kidnappers have since established contact and are demanding a total ransom of ₦20 million (₦10 million for each victim) to secure their release.

The abduction has caused significant distress within the UDUTH community and among health workers in the region, who are increasingly concerned about the safety of personnel traveling between Northern cities. While security agencies have been notified, the families of the victims are appealing for urgent government intervention to ensure their safe return.

This latest kidnapping underscores the persistent security challenges on major highways in the North-West, despite ongoing military operations in the surrounding forests.