Bandits storm Nigerian school, kidnap many students

Suspected bandits have abducted some students of the Government Science School, Kagara in Niger State.

The bandits were dressed in military uniforms when they attacked the boarding school Tuesday night, reported PRNigeria, a news agency with close ties to Nigerian security agencies.

The bandits overpowered the security guard before whisking away the students.

PREMIUM TIMES could not confirm the exact number of students kidnapped, at the time of this report. However, some students are said to have escaped after the raid.

A headcount was being conducted in the school on Wednesday to ascertain the actual number of missing students, PRNigeria reported.

The news agency also reported that security agencies were able to detect the coordinates of the area the students were taken to, and have started tracing the bandits’ movement while security aircraft have been seen hovering in the air to track the location of the students.

A former senator, Shehu Sani, also said the principal of the school confirmed the abduction.

Mr Sani said the bandits abducted some students and staff of the school.

The Niger State police spokesperson, Abiodun Wasiu, did not respond to calls and messages seeking an official position on the kidnap.

The latest abduction is coming less than three months after gunmen abducted hundreds of students of Government Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State. The Katsina students were later freed after negotiations.

Niger, Katsina and many other states in North-west and North-central Nigeria are bedevilled by bandits attacks. The bandits kill and kidnap at will despite the large deployment of police officers and soldiers to the affected states.

Details later…