The Niger state government has expressed deep concern over the abduction of pupils from St Mary’s School in Agwara LGA.
Gunmen abducted several students and members of staff from
the school in Papiri, Agwara LGA of Niger state.
The incident reportedly occurred between 2am and 3am on
Friday.
Reacting in a statement, Abubakar Usman, secretary to the
state government, said the attack took place despite earlier intelligence
indicating heightened security threats in parts of Niger north.
Usman said the school proceeded to reopen and resume
academic activities without notifying or seeking clearance from the state.
He said the state had issued an advisory suspending all
construction activities and directing the temporary shutdown of boarding
schools across the affected axis.
“In response to these credible security alerts, the State
Government had earlier issued a clear directive suspending all construction
activities and ordering the temporary closure of all boarding schools within
the affected zone as a precautionary measure,” the statement reads.
“Security agencies have since commenced a full-scale
investigation and search-and-rescue operations to ensure the safe return of the
pupils.
“The Niger State Government is in close communication with
all relevant security formations and will provide continuous updates as more
information becomes available.
“The government urges school proprietors, community leaders
and all stakeholders to adhere strictly to security advisories issued in the
interest of public safety.
“The protection of lives, especially those of our children,
remains the utmost priority of this administration.”
The incident comes on the heels of the abduction of 25
female students from Government Girls’ Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi state.
Hassan Makuku, the school’s vice-principal, died during the
attack; while Ali Shehu, a security guard, sustained a gunshot injury to his
right hand.
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com