As bandits dared President Muhammadu Buhari, the whereabouts of 600 abducted students of Government Secondary School (GSSS), Kankara, Katsina State, by suspected bandits are unknown.
The school is located 190 kilometres away from Buhari’s homestead in Daura in Katsina State.
The incident, which happened barely eight days after Boko Haram slaughtered more than 100 rice farmers in Borno State, among other violent incidents have continued to lend credence to the worsening insecurity in the country.
The schoolchildren’s abduction happened on Friday at about 9.45 p.m the same day President Buhari landed in his home state of Katsina for a week’s private visit, where he was presented with a horse by Emir of Daura, Alhaji Farouk Umar Farouk.
Buhari’s trip to Daura was done a day after he made a remarkable volte-face, after initially agreeing to appear before the National Assembly (NASS) to brief lawmakers of efforts that his government has been making to curb widespread insecurity.
With the spectre of insecurity looming larger than ever-before in the country, bandits dared the president by kidnapping about 600 of the about 800 pupils in the school, located in Kankara Local Government Area.
Some of the students escaped into nearby bushes, while others ran home to their parents while the bandits raided their school after shooting one of the policemen guarding the school’s entrance on the leg before gaining entrance.
Hours after the abduction of the pupils, Governor Aminu Bello Masari, ordered the closure of all boarding secondary schools across the state to forestall a reoccurrence.
One of the school’s teachers who spoke on condition of anonymity to The Guardian correspondent, said the bandits launched the attack shortly after prep by shooting into the air, a development that led to commotion and stampede.
He said the school has over 880 students, with the exception of JS3 and SS3 students, who are now out of school, and that 600 students were yet to return to the school several hours after the attack.
“We are still hoping that some of them might return. We believe some of them fled the attack and ran into the bushes,” he said, adding that the bandits, after gathering the students in one place, moved them towards Pauwa, a neighbouring village, where they were carted away.
Another teacher, who also craved anonymity said a headcount in the school carried out on Saturday, amid reports that hundreds of students had been abducted, revealed that 54 students were missing, a member of staff at the school told Channels TV on the condition of anonymity.
Masari, who abandoned an earlier scheduled event, Saturday morning to head to Kankara to ascertain the situation, ordered the immediate closure of all boarding secondary schools across the state.
Accompanied by his deputy, Mannir Yakubu, and other government officials, Masari met with the school officials, some parents, traditional and religious leaders, as well as security officials.
He pleaded with the people to be patient, show restraint and understanding, while assuring that government would do every necessary thing to ensure the release of all abducted pupils.
He said security personnel, including the military, police and the Department of State Security (DSS), had already swung into action and were on the trail of the abductors.
Governor Masari further assured that both governments at federal and state levels were doing their best to bring an end to banditry and other criminal activities in the state.
According to him, the government is very firm in its resolve to be ruthless in any engagement with the bandits.
Spokesperson for the State Police Command, Gambo Isah, a superintendent of police who earlier confirmed the incident, however, said the actual number of kidnapped, or missing students was being investigated.
According to Isah: “On 11/12/2020 at about 21:40hrs, bandits in their numbers, shooting sporadically with AK-47 rifles, attacked Government Science Secondary School, Kankara.
“The policemen on duty also responded to the attack and engaged them in a gun duel, which gave the students opportunity to scale the fence of the school and run for safety.
“The DPO reinforced the policemen on duty with Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC), which forced the hoodlums to retreat back into the forest.
“One inspector sustained a gunshot wound and was taken to the hospital and is responding to treatment. In the course of investigation, the DPO rescued over 200 students back into the school compound.
“The police, Nigerian Army, and Nigerian Air Force are working closely with the school authorities to ascertain the actual number of missing and/or kidnapped students, while search parties are assiduously working with a view to finding and/or rescuing the missing students.
“It will be too early to say at this particular moment the actual number of students that have been kidnapped or missing,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has ordered the deployment of additional operational and investigative assets to support the ongoing search and rescue operations. The deployment, which includes personnel from the Police Tactical Squads, and crack detectives from the Force Intelligence Bureau (FIB), will provide investigative support to the Katsina State Police Command.
A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, DCP Frank Mba, said they are also to work in sync with the military and other law enforcement agents in coordinated efforts aimed at rescuing the students, hunting down the perpetrators and bringing them to book.
In his usual style, President Buhari, Saturday, condemned the bandits’ attack and charged the Nigerian Army and other security agencies to go after the attackers to ensure that no student gets missing or harmed.
He also urged the school authorities to carry out an audit of the population of the students following shootings in and around the school that sent hundreds of them fleeing.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly bandits’ attack on innocent children at the Science School, Kankara. Our prayers are with the families of the students, the school authorities and the injured,” said Buhari.
He pledged to continue to support the police and military struggle against terrorists and bandits.
