Buhari strongly condemns abduction of school students in Katsina by bandits’

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday strongly condemned the bandits’ attack at the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State, charging the army and the police to go after the attackers to ensure that no student gets missing or harmed.

NewsWireNGR had earlier reported that Armed men stormed Government Science Secondary School in Kankara LGA, Katsina State, northwest Nigeria, and kidnapped dozens of students from their dormitories early today, Saturday.

In a statement issued by Garba Shehu, the Presidential spokesman, Mr Shehu quoted the President as saying the “President urged the school authorities to carry out an audit of the population of the students following shootings in and around the school that sent hundreds of them fleeing and scrambling over perimeter walls.”

Parents who rushed to the school and removed their children and wards were also required to notify the school and police authorities in order to have a full account of the school population.

“I strongly condemn the cowardly bandits’ attack on innocent children at the Science School, Kankara….

“Our prayers are with the families of the students, the school authorities and the injured,” said President Buhari while pledging to continue to support the police and military struggle against terrorists and bandits.

In the latest briefing received by the President from Governor Aminu Bello Masari, with whom he has been in touch, and the Army Chief of Staff, General Tukur Buratai, the military, supported by air power has located the bandits’ enclave at Zango/Paula forest in Kankara…

“..and there have been exchange of fire in an ongoing operation. Police said so far, there has not been reported any student casualty”.

The Motorcycle-riding armed bandits operating out of abandoned forest reserves are the latest to join Nigeria’s lucrative kidnap for ransom industry, and are quite brazen in their operations.

The borders are porous and the vast forest reserves in the border regions have been turned into operational bases for the bandits.

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently in his home state of Daura, Katsina for a “private visit”…