Bandits invade another Kaduna school, kidnap 3 teachers

…Pupils flee amid commotion

…Rustle cattle, stole 5 bikes belonging to locals

…Boy found in bush before parents pay N15m ransom

…Two pupils found, three teachers still missing —Kaduna govt

…Bandits kidnap two OOU female students in Ogun

…Short term solutions’ll bring us long term destruction —Atiku

By Dirisu Kadiri, James Ogunnaike & Hassan Wuyo

Bandits again attacked a primary school at Rema in Birnin-Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State yesterday, abducting three teachers, while the pupils fled in different directions.

No pupil was taken away but the bandits went away with five motorcycles belonging to the locals and rustled some cattle.

Birnin-Gwari is one of the areas in Kaduna State that had been under constant attacks by bandits.

The latest attack came barely 24 hours after the military rescued 307 students of Government Science Secondary School, Ikara, in a failed bandits attack.

It will be recalled that 39 students of Federal Government College of Forestry Mechanisation in the same area of Kaduna, had last Friday been taken away by bandits, after 180 others were also rescued by a combined team of the military, police and other security agencies.

This is even as gunmen suspected to be bandits on Sunday night kidnapped two female students of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ayetoro Campus, Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The attacks drew the immediate reaction of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar who warned against the use of short-term strategies to curtail abduction of school children, saying if anything, the practice would fetch the nation long term destruction.

Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Mr.Samuel Aruwan, who confirmed this yesterday, 8:50am when the school Rema Primary School, Magajin Gawri Ward 2 was just settling down for the day’s business.

3 teachers abducted in Kaduna

He said: “At this time, the state government has compiled and analyzed all the security reports and can confirm that there was, indeed, an invasion of the said school.

“The government can confirm that three teachers, Rabiu Salisu, Umar Hassan, and Bala Adamu, have been kidnapped.

“Pupils who had just arrived the school to begin the day’s activities, took to their heels in the commotion, as the bandits invaded the premises on motorcycles.

“This led to two pupils going missing, identified as Ahmad Halilu and Kabiru Yahaya. However, we are happy to inform you that the two missing pupils have been found. We can also confirm that no single pupil was kidnapped from the school.

“Other than the three teachers previously mentioned, no staff or pupil of the school is missing, following the attack.

“Security reports have also revealed that the bandits rustled several cattle and went away with five motorcycles and other valuables.

“In summary, as it stands, three teachers of Rema Primary School, Birnin Gwari LGA have been kidnapped, and following thorough checks, we can verify that no pupil was kidnapped.

“The military and other security agencies in the Birnin Gwari general area are in hot pursuit of the bandits to ensure that the three kidnapped persons are rescued safely.

Kidnapped boy, girl found in forest

“Similarly, troops of the Nigerian Army on patrol in the Faka general area of Chikun Local Government Area rescued a young boy wandering in the forest.

“The boy, identified as Adewale Rasaq, was kidnapped over a week ago in the Kudenden area of Chikun Local Government Area, and escaped from his captors while his parents were negotiating payment of a ransom of about N15 million to the bandits.

“Furthermore, troops of the Nigerian Army,  while on aggressive fighting patrol in a forest around Kachia and Kauru Local Government Areas found a girl, Fatima Lawal, who also escaped from bandits.

“According to her statement, she was kidnapped about three weeks ago at Randa village in Kadage general area of Kauru Local Government.

“These two persons will be handed over to their families through the chairmen of Chikun and Kauru Local Government Areas respectively.

“Overall, the Kaduna State government is sustaining collaborative efforts towards tracking down the criminals and retrieving their hostages. The governor is actively engaging critical stakeholders towards the speedy achievement of this objective.”

2 OOU female students abducted in Ayetoro, Ogun State

In the Ogun incident, bandits also kidnapped two female students of the Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ayetoro Campus, Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Vanguard reliably gathered that the incident occurred at about 9pm on Sunday when the bandits stormed Igbole Aibo Quarter area of Ayetoro, shooting sporadically.

Residents, who spoke with Vanguard under the condition of anonymity, said the gunmen captured and abducted the two students who were said to be returning home at the time.

READ ALSO: Gunmen kill family of 6 in Osun, one other in Ekiti

The abducted female students were identified as Adeyemo Oluwaseun Precious (300 level Forestry and Wildlife Management) and Oyefule Oluwatosin Abisola (300 level, Agricultural Economics).

It was further gathered that the bandits targeted a female bulk call card voucher dealer living in the area but their failure to break through the gate to her house led them to abducting the two female varsity students who were returning to the same house from an outing. They reside in the same house.

“Being unable to gain access, they started shooting sporadically to create fear, and it was at this point Seun and Tosin were returning home, which is the same house the call card dealer lives, near Igbole Aibo Community Primary School, Aibo Quarter, Ayetoro, Ogun State,” a resident said.

Confirming the incident, the Deputy Registrar, Corporate Affairs Unit, of the institution, Mr. Niyi Oduwole, described the abduction as unfortunate.

Oduwole said the university management is on top of the situation to ensure the safe return of the abductees.

He said: “The incident is most unfortunate. The university is beefing up security around all our campuses and hostels.

“We sympathise with parents of the victims and we want to assure them that their wards will be rescued unhurt. We are on top of the situation.”

On his part, the Police spokesman in the state, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi, who also confirmed the incident, said that the Area Commander in Ayetoro and the command anti-kidnapping team were already on rescue mission to bring back the victims.

He said: “It is true that two students of Olabisi Onabanjo University were kidnapped on Sunday night at Ayetoro at about 9.30pm.

“The State Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, has directed the the Area Commander, Ayetoro and the anti-kidnapping team of the command to ensure that the students were rescued unhurt from their abductors den.

“We are on top of the situation to ensure their safety, while security situation in the locality is being beefed up.”

Excise cancer of abductions now, Atiku urges FG

Meanwhile, former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has warned against the use of short term strategies to curtail abduction of school children, saying if anything, the practice would fetch the nation a long term destruction.

In a statement he personally signed yesterday, Atiku called on the federal government to go the whole hog to restore security to schools across the country.

The statement read: “With the latest Kaduna school abduction, I repeat my call for the federal government to declare a state of emergency in the education sector, and to post 24-hour armed guards at every school in the affected and neighbouring states. No expense must be spared to keep our schools safe.

“With 13.5 million children, Nigeria is already the world headquarters for out-of-school kids. This can only make things worse. It behoves us as a nation to act decisively and excise this cancer of school abductions from our polity with clinically precise policies.

“We must also stop paying ransom at random. It is a short term solution that will cause long term destruction. We must as a nation impose law and order now, or we will bequeath lawlessness and disorder to the next generation. And may God forbid that.”

Vanguard News Nigeria

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