The gunmen who came on motorbikes, invaded the school’s premises around 11 p.m. Friday night, kidnapping a yet to be confirmed number of students.
President Muhammadu Buhari has come under severe criticism on social media, particularly Twitter, over the kidnap of students at the Government Boys Science Secondary School in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the gunmen who came on motorbikes invaded the school’s premises around 11 p.m. Friday night, shooting indiscriminately to scare residents. The operation led to the disappearance of many students, residents said.
Although the state police confirmed the incident, it did not disclose the number of students that were kidnapped.
Following the attack, the governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, on Saturday, ordered the closure of all boarding secondary schools in the state.
“The situation goes beyond one’s thinking. It’s a sad moment for Katsina, I am assuring parents of the missing students we will do anything humanly possible to rescue the children, it’s our responsibility to protect lives and properties.
“As I am speaking to you now, the soldiers are in the bush engaging the militants in a fire fight, I plead with you to exercise patience, we will rescue the children and I also ordered for the closure of all schools to save the children,” he said.
President Buhari also acknowledged the attack, saying security agencies were engaging the isnurgents in battles to ensure anyone kidnapped was freed.
The president also ordered an audit to determine the exact number of missing students.
The attack on the school and kidnap of the students is the latest such case in the country where insecurity is rife and killings and kidnappings common. Apart from the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency in the North-east, bandits attack communities in the North-west and North-central states at will, killing and kidnapping residents. Kidnappings have also become commonplace in other parts of the country.
Nigerians, using the hashtag #BringBackOurBoys on Twitter, lamented the security situation, and criticised President Muhammadu Buhari’s handling of it.
They also demanded the removal of the service chiefs,
Many Nigerian also called on the president, who is currently in Katsina, to show empathy by visiting the scene of the incident.
