..Three feared dead as security operatives foil mass abduction of students in Kabba/Bunu
..Panic spreads to Niger and Edo as authorities intensify measures to protect schools
By Peter Taiwo
Fresh concerns over the safety of schools across Nigeria deepened on Wednesday after armed bandits invaded a secondary school in Kogi State during an ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), killing three persons, including a vice principal, while security agencies scrambled to prevent what authorities described as a planned mass abduction of students.
The attack occurred at Government Secondary School, Iluke in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, where students were writing their examination when heavily armed bandits stormed the community.
The Kogi State Police Command said the attackers, estimated to be operating on about 40 motorcycles, invaded the area at about 10 a.m. and attempted to abduct students and residents.
According to a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Saliu Afusat, security agencies swiftly responded to distress calls from the community.
The police said the Divisional Police Officer of Kabba ‘A’ Division immediately mobilised personnel alongside operatives of the Police Mobile Force and the Command’s Tactical Teams.
Military personnel already stationed within the area, as well as local vigilantes and hunters, were also alerted and joined the emergency operation.
The combined security forces subsequently engaged the attackers in a fierce gun battle that forced the bandits to abandon their mission and retreat into nearby forests.
However, the attack left a trail of tragedy.
Among those killed was Mr. Ganiyu Anifowose, Vice Principal of UBE Secondary and Primary School, Iluke, who reportedly lost his life during the invasion.
Also killed were 70-year-old Sunday Jacob Alhassan and six-year-old Sunday Ayele, whose death has generated widespread grief within the community.
The police disclosed that one suspected bandit was neutralised during the exchange of gunfire.
Some members of the joint security team also sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving medical attention.
Kogi State Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo, confirmed that the attack disrupted the ongoing WAEC examination.
According to him, reports available to the state government indicated that the attackers had already begun herding students toward the bush before security operatives intervened.
Fanwo commended the military, police, local vigilantes, hunters and community volunteers for their prompt response.
He said their courage and coordinated efforts prevented what could have become one of the most devastating school abductions in recent times.
The commissioner reaffirmed the government’s determination to resist criminal elements threatening the peace and security of the state.
He declared that Kogi State would not surrender to terror or intimidation from bandit groups operating within and around its borders.
Despite initial fears, the police said preliminary investigations showed no conclusive evidence that any student was successfully abducted during the attack.
Authorities, however, noted that investigations remain ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
The Commissioner of Police has since ordered extensive bush-combing operations and intensified security patrols across the affected communities.
Joint security teams comprising police personnel, soldiers and local vigilantes have continued manhunt operations aimed at tracking down the fleeing suspects.
Residents have been urged to remain vigilant and provide credible information that could assist ongoing investigations.
The latest attack comes amid growing concerns over increasing assaults on educational institutions across Nigeria.
Only weeks ago, bandits reportedly abducted dozens of pupils and teachers from schools in the Oriire axis of Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
The attack in Oyo left an assistant headmaster and a motorcyclist dead, while one of the abducted teachers was later killed by his captors.
In Borno State, suspected Boko Haram insurgents also abducted scores of pupils from schools in Askira/Uba Local Government Area in another incident that shocked the nation.
Meanwhile, fear gripped residents of Niger State on Wednesday following rumours of an impending attack on schools by armed bandits.
The rumours, which spread rapidly across Minna and several local government areas, triggered panic among parents and school authorities.
Many parents rushed from offices and businesses to withdraw their children from schools as reports circulated that armed men on motorcycles were moving toward the state capital.
Several public and private schools suspended academic activities and dismissed students prematurely as a precautionary measure.
The panic also affected religious activities, with some churches cancelling scheduled midweek services due to security concerns.
A parent, Samson Owolabi, said memories of previous school abductions compelled him to act quickly despite uncertainty over the authenticity of the reports.
However, the Niger State Police Command dismissed the rumours as false and misleading.
Police spokesperson SP Wasiu Abiodun said investigations revealed no attack or evidence of any planned assault on schools anywhere in the state.
He described the reports as the handiwork of mischief-makers seeking to create fear and panic among residents.
The command said intelligence investigations had commenced to identify and prosecute those responsible for spreading the false alarm.
In neighbouring Edo State, authorities took no chances after receiving intelligence reports suggesting a possible mass abduction plot targeting students in Akoko-Edo Local Government Area.
The Edo State Government consequently ordered the immediate closure of Ososo Grammar School, Ososo Comprehensive High School and Makeke Secondary School.
A circular issued by the Ministry of Education stated that all academic and non-academic activities in the affected schools had been suspended pending further security assessments.
The government, however, assured that candidates participating in the ongoing WASSCE would continue to sit for their examinations under strict security arrangements.
Officials said the temporary closure was necessary to protect students, teachers and surrounding communities from potential threats.
