News

Gunmen Kidnap Scores of Students in Kebbi.

Published

3 years ago

June 18, 2021

Reports say Bandits have kidnapped scores of students and four others at the Federal Government College Birnin Yauri, Kebbi state.

A teacher in the school, who spoke to News men on condition of anonymity, said most of the kidnapped students were in the Senior Secondary School one and two.

It was gathered that a teacher, a vice-principal, the school security officer and a wife of a teacher were together with the students taken to an unknown destination in two Hilux Pick-Up vehicles by bandits who killed a policeman.

According to sources, the kidnappers came in their large numbers, armed with sophisticated weapons stormed the school on Thursday.

One of the sources stated, “The kidnappers invaded the school at 10am and killed one security agent attached to the school and injured a student.

“The kidnappers in their large numbers overpowered a team of mobile policemen that attempted to repel the attack.

“Shortly after the gun battle with the police, the kidnappers broke into the school and whisked away some students and four others in two Hilux vehicles to an unknown destination.

“Following the attack, the whereabouts of at least three staff members and a wife of a teacher have yet to be ascertained. The school is still collating the number of abducted students.”

The Press Secretary to the Emir of Yauri, Mallam Ibrahim, who confirmed the incident to newsmen on the phone, said, “The kidnapper stormed the school and kidnapped both females and male students.

“The principal of the school just called the palace and told His Royal Highness what actually happened. We cannot ascertain the number of students yet,” he added.

The state police command spokesman, Nariu Abubakar, in a statement quoted the state Commissioner of Police, CP Adeleke Adeyinka, as condemning the attack.

He stated, “The commissioner of police has assured parents and guardians of students that the command is following credible leads and intensifying efforts to track the assailants and ensure the rescue of the missing students and teachers.

“A combined team of police operatives from the police mobile force, anti-kidnapping and counter-terrorism units are currently combing nearby forests, routes and suspected hideouts of the criminals.”

Moreso, the lawmaker representing the Igaski/Shanga/Yauri in Kebbi State at the House of Representatives, Yusuf Sununu, lamented the attack.Sununu, who addressed journalists in Abuja on Thursday, warned that the growing insecurity in Kebbi State was a major threat to food security in the country.Sununu said the pervading insecurity in the country was becoming worrisome, saying, “gone are the days when Kebbi used to be the most peaceful in the country.

“Not long ago, we lost over 154 people from my constituency when they were travelling in a boat that capsized and we can only account for 98 corpses, with 22 survivors.

“A week ago, we had another calamity when bandits – according to eyewitnesses – numbering about 250 to 300, each with an AK-47 rifle and using very strong motorcycles, came into my constituency. They had a field day and operated for more than eight hours, going (from) house to house, room to room, collecting money, handsets, motorcycles and cattle. That led to a massive influx of internally displaced persons to the headquarters of the emirate in the town of Yauri.“However, we were able to convince people and they started going back to their respective areas. But they (bandits) left a message that they would be coming back. Taking it seriously, some people refused to go back and in the early hours of today, they repeated what they had done earlier, and they came into the constituency, somehow around 10:30am or thereabout. They were able to gain access after strong fights with some security guards and policemen guarding the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, and they made their way into the school. They succeeded in kidnapping some teachers and an unaccounted number of students. Some of the students and security men are currently receiving care at the General Hospital Yauri following gun injuries.

“This is a cause for concern and as representative of the people, I had to come here and make a call on the Federal Government to look at Yauri’s position with its neighbouring Niger State. It has direct access to Zamfara State and west of Yauri is back of River Niger. Our fear is that their major target is to enter Yauri. Now, we are calling on the Federal Government to provide adequate security. I have got in touch with security agencies. We had discussions and it has been confirmed to me that military aircraft are in surveillance in the area.