Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Bauchi State Police Command has launched a manhunt for four suspected robbers who attacked a female student near the main campus of Sa’adu Zungur University (SAZU) in Gadau, Itas/Gadau Local Government Area, on Thursday evening, severing two of her fingers and cutting part of her ear during a violent struggle over her mobile phone. The victim, whose identity has not been released by authorities, remains hospitalized, while police have assured the public that efforts are underway to apprehend the assailants and recover the stolen device. The attack, which occurred in close proximity to the state-owned university, has sent shockwaves through the academic community and raised urgent questions about the safety of students on and off campus.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Nafiu Habib, in a phone interview with Nigerian Tribune on Saturday, the incident took place on the evening of April 23, 2026, when four men confronted the victim as she was walking in the Gadau area. The attackers demanded that she hand over her phone, but when she resisted or hesitated – the exact details of the confrontation remain under investigation – one of the suspects produced a sharp knife and attacked her. In the ensuing struggle, the assailant severed two of her fingers, inflicted deep cuts on her face, and damaged part of her ear. The attackers then snatched her phone and fled the scene, leaving the victim bleeding and in severe pain.
SP Habib confirmed that the victim, believed to be a student of SAZU, was rushed to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment. Her condition has since been described as stable, though the psychological trauma of the attack is likely to linger for a long time. “We are leaving no stone unturned. We have deployed operatives to track down the suspects, recover the stolen phone, and ensure that justice is done,” Habib told Tribune Online. He urged members of the public, especially students and residents of Gadau, to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies by providing any information that could lead to the arrest of the fleeing suspects.
The attack has sparked outrage among students and staff of Sa’adu Zungur University, with many calling for increased police patrols around the campus and its environs. The university’s Student Union Government (SUG) issued a statement on Saturday condemning the “barbaric and inhuman act” and demanding that the state government take immediate steps to secure the area. “Our students are living in fear. No one should have to lose their fingers or ears simply because they refused to hand over a phone,” the SUG president said in a statement. The university administration has also expressed concern, although no official statement has been released as of the time of this report.
The Gadau area, which hosts the main campus of SAZU, has witnessed a rise in petty crime in recent months, including phone snatching, purse theft, and occasional armed robbery. However, the level of violence in Thursday’s attack – the deliberate mutilation of a victim – marks a disturbing escalation. Security analysts have noted that the use of knives and other bladed weapons by street criminals is becoming more common, as assailants seek to intimidate victims who refuse to comply. The fact that the attackers were willing to sever fingers and cut an ear over a mobile phone suggests that they are either drug‑addicted, desperate, or part of a more organised criminal network that has little regard for human life.
The Bauchi State Police Command has not disclosed whether any suspects have been identified or arrested, but SP Habib assured the public that investigations are at an advanced stage. “We are reviewing CCTV footage from nearby buildings, interviewing witnesses, and using intelligence networks to track the suspects. We will not rest until they are brought to book,” he said. The command also advised students and residents to avoid walking alone at night and to secure their phones and other valuables in public spaces. However, critics have pointed out that such advice places the burden of safety on victims rather than on the state’s responsibility to provide adequate security.
The attack has also drawn attention to the broader issue of insecurity in Bauchi State, which has often been overshadowed by the more dramatic violence in neighbouring states like Borno, Kaduna, and Zamfara. While Bauchi has not experienced the same level of insurgency or banditry, criminal activities such as armed robbery, car theft, and phone snatching remain persistent problems, particularly in urban centres and areas around higher education institutions. The state government, led by Governor Bala Mohammed, has invested in security infrastructure, including the deployment of additional patrol vehicles and the establishment of a state security trust fund, but the effectiveness of these measures is often questioned by residents who say they still feel unsafe.
The victim of Thursday’s attack, whose name has been withheld pending family notification, is reportedly a young woman who was studying for her examinations. Classmates have described her as a diligent and quiet student who was simply unlucky to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. A friend who spoke to this reporter said, “She was walking back to her hostel after buying some food. She didn’t even have much money on her. All they wanted was her phone. Now she may never write properly with those fingers again.” The friend added that the victim is receiving counselling to help her cope with the trauma.
The use of machetes and knives in such attacks has become a worrying trend. In a similar incident in 2025, a commercial motorcyclist was stabbed in the neck for refusing to hand over his phone in the Wunti area of Bauchi metropolis. The suspect was later arrested, but the victim survived with permanent injury. In another case, a woman had her ear cut off by a thief who snatched her gold earring in a crowded market. The pattern suggests that criminals are increasingly willing to use extreme violence to achieve their objectives, often with little fear of being caught.
The Nigerian Tribune, which first reported the story, quoted a police source as saying that the attackers may have been under the influence of drugs at the time of the incident. “Substance abuse is a major driver of violent crime in this area. Many of these young men take cheap narcotics that make them aggressive and reckless,” the source said. The Bauchi State Government has recently intensified its fight against drug abuse, with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) conducting raids on black spots and making several arrests. However, the scale of the problem remains vast, and many addicts continue to roam the streets.
For the victim of Thursday’s attack, the road to recovery will be long and painful. Physical therapy may help restore some function to her hand, but the psychological scars may never fully heal. As the police continue their search for the four suspects, the people of Gadau and the students of Sa’adu Zungur University are left wondering whether this was an isolated incident or the beginning of a more violent phase of crime in their community. The answer depends largely on how quickly the police can apprehend the attackers and how severely the courts punish them. Until then, every pedestrian on the streets of Gadau will look over their shoulder, and every hand that reaches for a phone will tremble.
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