Gunmen attack school, abduct students, others in Niger

Armed men have attacked Government Science College Kagara in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.

The incident started at about 2:00 am on Wednesday when the gunmen shot sporadically with one student feared killed and several others abducted.

Some teachers and their family members residing within the college staff quarters were also said to have been abducted by the gunmen.

A government source who pleaded anonymity disclosed this to Channels Television via telephone conversation in the early hours of Wednesday.

The operations started from the staff quarters and ended in the students’ hostels and in the process, other students were also wounded by gunshots.

ALSO READ: Shasha Market: Northern governors, Seyi Makinde meet

The gunmen gathered some staff and students at a place for hours before moving them out of the school premises to an unknown destination.

They wore military uniform and entered the school premises which has about 1000 students, overpowered the security guard, before whisking away the students and staff.

A staff by name Batagi who was among those kidnapped has escaped and is in the school as of the time of publishing this report. Others still with the bandits are Mall. Lawal, Ali, Hannatu and her husband, Dodo, Mohammed Abubakar(Akawu), among others.

The number of persons abducted and those injured is unclear as of the time of filing the report. A headcount is being conducted at the school to ascertain the actual number of missing students.

Channels Television also learnt that the security agencies were able to detect the nature of the area, and have started tracing the attackers’ movement while the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) aircraft have been seen hovering in the air to track the location of the students.