By Agbenu Oyale, Abuja
Police in Zamfara has said that about three-hundred and seventeen (317) students were abducted from the Government Girls Science Secondary School Jangebe in Jangebe, Zamfara State.
This position is conflicting with that of a teacher in the school who said out of the 600 students of Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State, about 50 were left behind,…
The school which is located within the Talata-Mafara local government area of the state came under siege by some bandits at past midnight.
In reaction to the development, the Zamfara Police Commissioner, CP Abutu Yaro said a joint search and rescue operation is already underway with a view to rescuing the 317 students kidnapped by the marauders.
CP Yaro said the Force Commander Operations Hadarin Daji, Major General Aminu Bande, Brigade Commander 1 Brigade, Nigeria Army Gusau, and other state government officials led a heavily armed Re-enforcement team to Jangebe to complement the ongoing rescue operation in the locations where the students were believed to have been whisked to.
The Commissioner while interfacing with the Principal of the school and the parents appealed to everyone to be calm as joint efforts of the police and other security agencies will surely lead to a successful rescue of the students.
A teacher in the school who spoke on the condition of anonymity said parents of the students, who escaped the abduction, came as early as 5: am to take away their daughters, adding that some mothers of kidnapped girls were slumping on the school premises.
“Initially, the school authorities prevented them from going with the remaining students but they grew angrier and began to pull down doors and windows of the buildings in the school and the school authority had to yield to their demands.
“When the gunmen laid siege, they attacked the soldiers stationed in the community before they gained entry into the school.
“Some people told us that they stationed vehicles at the outskirts of the school.
“Security operatives and the local vigilante groups are trailing the gunmen and dozens of other residents have volunteered to take part in the search,” he said.
‘However, the Zamfara State Government has said the number of students abducted from the school is unknown.
The state’s commissioner of information, Alhaji Sulaiman Tunau Anka, said the exact number of abducted students is yet to be ascertained.
“We are yet to verify the exact number of students kidnapped.
“Security operatives have launched a manhunt for the criminals.”
“They went to the school with vehicles. Some of the girls were made to trek. We are on top of the situations as all contacts and efforts are being made to rescue the kidnapped schoolgirls,” he said.
The abduction happened hours after the state government said some repentant bandits had surrendered their arms.
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara has been pushing for a dialogue with bandits for peace to reign.