Scores of students abducted by bandits in Birnin-Yauri

Federal Government College Birni-Yauri

Federal Government College Birni-Yauri attacked by bandits

Federal Government College Birnin-Yauri attacked by bandits
Federal Government College Birnin-Yauri attacked by bandits

By Abankula, with agency reports

Bandits on Thursday afternoon struck at Federal Government College in Birnin-Yauri, in Kebbi state and abducted scores of students.

A policeman who tried to challenge the bandits was killed, according to witnesses in the town.

Birnin-Yauri is in Yelwa-Yauri LGA of the state.

Early in June, no fewer than 88 people were killed by bandits in communities in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of the State.

Police spokesman Nafiu Abubakar later confirmed the attack and abduction.

He said the bandits stormed the school in large numbers at about 12 noon and shot sporadically to create panic among the students and teachers.

He said the bandits abducted four teachers and a yet-to-be ascertained number of students.

They have all been herded to an unknown destination.

Abubakar also confirmed the fatal shooting of a policeman.

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According to him, one student sustained gunshot wounds during an exchange of fire between security operatives and the bandits.

He added that security operatives have launched a manhunt for the bandits.

Atiku Aboki, a local resident who went to the school shortly after the gunfire stopped, told Reuters he saw a scene of panic and confusion as people searched for their children.

“When we got there we saw students crying, teachers crying, everyone is sympathising with people,” he said by telephone.

“Everyone was confused. Then my brother called me (to say) that his two children have not been seen and (we) don’t know if they are among the kidnapped.”

More than 800 Nigerian students have been kidnapped from their schools since December in a series of raids blamed by the authorities on ransom seekers.

Some have been freed while others remain missing.

The raids have mostly taken place in the northwestern region.

They are separate from Islamist insurgencies centred on the northeast, where the Boko Haram militant group made global headlines in 2014 when it abducted more than 270 schoolgirls from the town of Chibok.

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