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Following the abduction of 287 students from their schools in Kaduna State on Thursday, March 8, 2024, Sani Abdullahi, a teacher who escaped captivity has narrated how the bandits invaded the schools.
The teacher recounted the incident when Governor Sani Uba of Kaduna State led government officials to the school.
An earlier report had stated that the students were kidnapped from the LEA Primary School, the teacher said the gunmen also attacked the Government Secondary School (GSS) both in Kuriga in the in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
Abdullahi said when the bandits invaded the schools, they ordered about 700 students and their teachers to march into the bush.
He said he was lucky to escape alongside other victims when they got into the bush.
He said, “I resumed to the school today at exactly 7:47 am. I entered the Acting Principal’s office and signed. All of a sudden, the Acting Principal asked me to look at my back and when I turned, we discovered that bandits had surrounded the school premises.
“We became confused, we didn’t know where to go. Then, the bandits asked us to enter the bush, so we obeyed them because they were many and the pupils, who were about 700, were following us. So, when we entered the bush, I was lucky to escape alongside many others.
I returned to the village and reported what happened to the community. So, immediately our vigilante and personnel of KADVIS followed the bandits, but the vigilante did not succeed, in fact, the bandits killed one of the vigilante, we just buried him a short while ago.
According to the teacher, 187 students in the secondary school are currently missing, while 100 are missing in the primary school.
“It was when we came back from that pursuit that we briefed the Village Head and we started making efforts to know the actual number of pupils and teachers taken away by the bandits. At GSS Kuriga, 187 students are presently missing. In the primary school, 125 pupils were initially missing, but, 25 of them escaped and returned home.”
Gov Uba Sani's reaction
While addressing the community, Governor Uba said he had informed Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), assuring them that the students would return home unhurt.
“In my capacity as your elected Governor, I am assuring you that by the grace of God, all the children will return unhurt. Before coming here, I spoke with the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu and we are making efforts, the security forces have swung into action and by God’s grace, we will rescue the children,” the governor said.
He said he would do whatever it takes to ensure the safe return of the victims, even if he needs to stay in the community.
“The essence of government is the protection of citizens lives and property. We recognized the fact that we are holding this position in trust for the people and by God’s grace, we will protect the citizens’ rights,” Uba said.