How gunmen stormed, abducted our students – Lagos school principal

The principal of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, Ikorodu, Olaoluwa Adeyemi, on Wednesday said the gunmen who seized three students of the school on Monday gain entry after destroying a part of the school’s security fence.

He spoke while taking the Deputy Governor of the state, Idiat Adebule, and other state government officials who visited the school round the premises.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that gunmen, on Monday night, around 8:30 p.m, abducted three female students of the school, owned by the Lagos Anglican Diocese at Agunfoye-Lugbusi in Ikorodu, Lagos State.

Mr. Adeyemi said the gunmen, on gaining entry from the back, started shooting sporadically to scare the students and teachers away.

He said all efforts by the management to rescue the abducted pupils from their abductors were not successful as the gunmen overpowered them with sophisticated guns and other weapons.

“They came with sophisticated guns and weapons and started shooting sporadically to frustrate us from rescuing our pupils they had abducted as everybody was running for safety.

“I got the governor on phone about three hours later and he contacted the Commissioner of Police and other top security agencies.

“They were all here immediately and ever since then, they have been working tirelessly to ensure that we secure our pupils.

“We are trusting God; we place our hope in Him that these children would return back to this school safely,” he said.

Also speaking, Michael Fape, Bishop of the Anglican Church of Nigeria, Remo Diocese, expressed concern on the security situation in the country.

Mr. Fape urged the government at all levels to prioritise security and provide employment for youth so as to engage them more positively.

He commended Governor Akinwunmi Ambode and the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, for their quick response.

He said the police commissioner personally led the search operation and expressed optimism that with the efforts put on ground by the government and various security operatives, the pupils would soon be released to the school.

The deputy governor, who led the government delegation on behalf of the governor, said the visit was to express government’s sympathy to the parents of the affected pupils and the management of the school.

She said the state government along with various security operatives in the state had swung into action since the sad occurrence on Monday night.

“The visit became necessary as a responsible government to express sympathy with the parents of the victims and to share in the pains that the absence of their children would have caused them.

“We assure you that the state government is working tirelessly with other security agencies to ensure the safety and early rescue of the pupils.

“We are very confident that in no distant time, these girls will be rescued and returned  back to their parents, “she said.

(NAN)