Tobias Sylvester
Armed bandits have kidnapped dozens of boarding students in Government Science Secondary School, Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State, less than 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari arrived his home state for a week long private visit.
The principal of the school, Usman Abubakar who confirmed the development to Africa Independent Televison (AIT), in a phone call said, the gunmen arrived at the school at around 10.15 pm Friday night and operated for about 1 hour.
According to him, the gunmen in their numbers burgled the school gate and shot one of the policemen on duty on his leg who is presently receiving treatment in one of the hospitals. The other policeman who was also on duty escaped before the bandits gained complete access to the school.
Abubakar further added that the bandits later proceeded to the staff quarters where they abducted the wife of one of the workers but later released her while they went away with their child.
He said the situation was however brought under control when soldiers of the Nigerian Army stationed in Kankara came and engaged the bandits in a gun duel, forcing them to abort their operations and flee to the nearby bush with the abducted victims due to the superior firepower of the military.
According to Abubakar, the school management is presently conducting a headcount among the students to ascertain the exact number that was abducted during the attack.
Just In: Armed men stormed Government Science Secondary School in Kankara LGA, Katsina State, northwest Nigeria, and kidnapped dozens of students from their dormitories early today. A missing persons count is currently in progress. pic.twitter.com/WkDrpXgnkf
— HumAngle_ (@HumAngle_) December 12, 2020
This is coming barely 24 hours after President Buhari arrived his hometown Daura in Katsina for a one-week long private visit, after staying away since December 2019 due to the global Covid-19 situation.
