Not less than 600 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State have been allegedly kidnapped.
The students were kidnapped after an attack by armed bandits on Friday night.
It was reported that armed men stormed Government Science Secondary School in Kankara LGA, Katsina State, northwest Nigeria, and kidnapped dozens of students from their dormitories on Saturday December 12, 2020.
A schoolteacher who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the bandits launched the attack shortly after prep at 9:30pm – the invasion by bandits followed shootings in the air, causing commotion and stampede before scaling over the fence and breaking the gate.
“The school has over 800 students, with the exception of JS3 and SS3 students who are now out of school,” the teacher said.
He said, “So far 600 students are 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 bush.
“The teacher added that the bandits, after gathering the students in one place, shepherded them towards Pauwa village, where they kept dozens of motorcycles.
The state police confirmed the attack on Friday night, but said it had no information on the abduction.
A spokesman for the force, DSP Gambo Isa, said that more than 200 dispersed students had already been identified and had gone into the bush when gunmen stormed their school.
He added that there was a skirmish between the gunmen and the police which resulted in “one police officer being shot but not dead.”
According to him, more police have been deployed to deal with the gunmen.
He added that they are still counting students who have returned to the school from the bush and who have not returned to determine the exact number of those abducted.
In five years, bandits have carried out attacks in Rann, Karewa, Sabon Birni, Dan Amuwa, Dutsin Gari, Zabarmari, Kadisau, Jibia, Sanyinna, Birnin Gwari, Zaria, Batsari, Maru, Zurmi communities, abducting hundreds and killing.
