Over 200 students, who fled for safety after gunmen attacked their school on the night of Friday, December 11, 2020, at Kankara in Katsina state have been returned to the school safely. 

Pulse had earlier reported that hundreds of students were abducted by armed bandits from Government Science Secondary School in Katsina hours after President Muhammadu Buhari arrived Daura, his home state in Katsina. 

The Principal of the school, Usman Abubakar, while confirming the development said some of the student ran home to their parents when the bandits attacked the school, while others have returned to the school from nearby bushes. 

Abubakar said, “Precisely we cannot ascertain the number of students kidnapped until later in the day as some of the students are now resurfacing from the nearby bush. We are currently taking the attendance. Some of them went straight to their various houses with their parents calling us that their children are at home.”

Meanwhile, police authorities have launched search parties to rescue missing or kidnapped students. 

In a statement on Saturday, December 12, 2020, by Gambo Isah, the spokesperson of the police in Katsina State, the Force said they are working closely with the Nigerian Army, the Nigerian Air Force and the school authorities to ascertain the actual number of missing students and look for them.

The statement reads in part, “The police, Nigerian Army and Nigerian Air Force are working closely with the school authorities to ascertain the actual number of the missing and/or kidnapped students while search parties are assiduously working with a view to find and/or rescue the missing students.

“It will be too early to say at this particular moment the actual number of students that have been kidnapped or missing”.

The police confirmed that over 200 students have been rescued, adding that an inspector, who sustained a gunshot wound during a gun duel with the bandits was taken to the hospital and is responding to treatment.