In fresh raids of schools, Nigeria’s bandits have abducted more than 280 pupils and teachers of Government Secondary School and LEA primary school in Kuriga, Kaduna State.
The attacks which occurred on Thursday morning, March 7, resulted in the tragic death of a member of the Kaduna State Vigilante Service (KADVS) and left the community, triggering national outrage.
The Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Amnesty International, the Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, and the House of Representatives have condemned the attack and asked the government to rescue the victims immediately
Sani Abdullahi, a teacher at Government Secondary School Kuriga, shared the details of the abduction when Kaduna State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, visited the area.
He said “The bandits ordered us to enter the bush, so we obeyed them because they were many,” recounted Abdullahi, who managed to escape.
He reported that 187 students from the secondary school and 125 pupils from the primary school were initially taken, though 25 pupils later escaped and returned home.
“At GSS Kuriga, 187 students are presently missing. In the primary school, 125 pupils were initially missing, but, 25 of them escaped and retired home,”
Expressing shock, Governor Sani said; “since I received the sad news of this incident, I have not had a rest of mind because every child in Kaduna State is my child.”
He assured the community of his commitment to the children’s safe return, promising to establish a police station and a permanent military camp in the area.
“ We will not rest until these children return home and do whatever we need to do to ensure the safe return of these children, even if it means coming to Kuriga to stay with you,” Governor Sani told the community.”
He also disclosed that he had briefed the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, and that efforts were underway to deploy security forces for the children’s rescue.