Victor EzejaAt least 15 pupils have been declared missing after gunmen described as bandits, reportedly invaded Tsangava school in Gidan Bakuso in the Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State on Saturday.
According to reports, the pupils were taken from their school on Saturday morning at around 1 am.
The school’s owner, Liman Abubakar, informed newsmen that while they were still counting, there might be more unaccounted children than the 15 that had not yet been reported.
Abubakar said the gunmen believed to be bandits invaded the town around 1am, shot one person and abducted a woman.
“As they were leaving the town, they sighted our students rushing into their rooms and they kidnapped many of them.
“We have so far counted 15 who are missing and we are still searching for more,” he said.
According to Abubakar, the village had witnessed bandit attacks in the past.
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While confirming the incident, state House of Assembly member Kabiru Dauda, who represents the Gada-East Constituency, stated he got a call from the village at around two in the morning reporting that bandits had broken in.
“I reached out to the local government authorities and security agencies and I am sure they are doing something about it,” he said.
According to reports the bandits attacked and killed three persons at Turba village in Isa Local Government Area of the state, including the village head.
Another lawmaker who also confirmed the incident, Habibu Modachi, a member representing Isa Constituency, said it was a reprisal after security operatives raided bandits’ hideouts two days ago.
This occured in less than 48 hours after bandits abducted over 280 pupils and teachers of Government Secondary School and LEA primary school at Kuriga, Kaduna State on Thursday.
The recent abductions in school has brought back memories of school abductions such as of 276 female students who were kidnapped in a nighttime attack at a government secondary school in the Borno State town of Chibok, and also 110 schoolgirls from a girls’ science college in the Yobe State town of Dapchi, all in northeastern Nigeria.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
