‘Unknown’ gunmen yesterday raided Government Day Secondary School, Kaya in Maradun local government area of Zamfara State and abducted some members of staff and no fewer than 73 students.
The attack was launched barely one week after some students of the College of Agriculture and Animal Science, Bakura, were released.
It was gathered that the attackers invaded the school around 11am when the students were writing their papers.
Findings indicated that some of the students managed to escape as the gunmen were taking their colleagues away.
Reacting to the incident, the state governor, Dr. Bello Matawalle, ordered the immediate closure of all the schools in the state till further notice.
A statement by the director of press, Mr. Yusuf Idris in Gusau said the measure became necessary in view of the incessant abduction of school children in the state.
The governor also imposed a 6pm to 6am curfew in 13 local governments of the state, while in Gusau area council, the curfew will take effect from 8pm to 6am.
The commissioner of police, Mr. Ayuba Elkana, announced the governor’s directive while addressing journalists in Gusau.
He also confirmed that 73 students were abducted during the attack on the school.
“The Zamfara State Police Command wishes to confirm the abduction of 73 students of the Government Day Secondary School, Kaya, in the Maradun local government area.
“The abduction followed the invasion of the school by a large number of bandits today (Wednesday) at exactly 11.22 hours.
“The command…has deployed a search-and-rescue team that was mandated to work in synergy with the military to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students,” he said.
The commissioner of police appealed to the general public, especially parents and relatives of the abducted students, to exercise patience and continue to pray for the success of the ongoing rescue operation.
“Security has also been beefed up at Kaya village and its environs to forestall further attacks on the communities.
“Further developments will be made known to members of the public,” he added.
The development is the latest in a series of attacks on communities across Zamfara, and the north-west region in general.
Recall that prior to the Wednesday attack, a total of 279 students were abducted from the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Jangebe during a raid in February — they were freed days after.
Six months later, gunmen kidnapped 19 students and teachers from the College of Agriculture and Animal Science in Bakura — they regained their freedom 11 days after.
In an effort to curb insecurity, the state government recently announced a temporary ban on the transportation of livestock beyond the state’s borders.
The governor has also ordered the closure of weekly markets across the state, while transportation of food items will be subject to verification.
According to the new directive by the governor, the sale of fuel has been restricted in some areas, while filling stations have been ordered not to sell fuel beyond N10, 000 to a single customer.
Roadside purchases and sale of fuel in jerry cans have also been banned.
Meanwhile, the Arewa Consultative Forum has expressed sadness over the attack and abduction of the students.
Spokesman for the forum, Mr. Emmanuel Yawe, said in an interview in Kaduna that any government that cannot protect its citizens has no right to exist.
“So, what has he (Matawalle) put in place? People should not just make pronouncements. If he is calling on the people to rise up and defend themselves, he should be able to supplement all the efforts that the people are making.
“It is the responsibility of the government to safeguard the lives and property of the citizens. That’s the primary responsibility of the government. If the government cannot do that, the government has no reason to exist,” he said.
Also reacting to the incident, spokesman for the Southern Nigeria Frontier spokesman, Mr. Olufemi Lawson, said the incident in Zamfara had validated the group’s belief that the activities of terrorists in the state are similar to the Boko Haram ideology.
In his condemnation of the Zamfara incident, spokesman for the Southern Kaduna Peoples Union (SOKAPU), Mr. Luka Binniyat, said the solution to banditry lies in the call of by the governor of Katsina State, Mr. Bello Masari for self-defence.
