By Sabiu Abdullahi
There has been outrage over the abduction of over 280 pupils and teachers of Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School at Kuriga, Kaduna State, by bandits on Thursday.
The bandits reportedly invaded the Kuriga area of the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday, shooting at their victims before taking away at least 280 of the pupils and teachers from both schools.
The secondary school had been relocated to the primary school due to insecurity in the council.
Various organisations and authorities, including the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, Amnesty International, the Parent-Teacher Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Teachers, and the House of Representatives, have condemned the attack, calling on the government to rescue the victims immediately.
This incident occurred barely 24 hours after insurgents abducted 200 internally displaced women in Borno State.
The women were kidnapped in Ngala, the headquarters of Gambarou Ngala in Borno State, while fetching firewood in the bush.
Sani Abdullahi, a teacher at Government Secondary School Kuriga, narrated the attack, stating that about 280 pupils and teachers were taken by the hoodlums.
He recounted the chaos that ensued as the bandits surrounded the school premises, forcing them to flee into the bush.
State Governor, Senator Uba Sani, led senior government officials and heads of security agencies to the scene of the attack, assuring the community that efforts were underway to rescue those abducted.
The governor stated that security operatives had swung into action to search for the kidnapped pupils.
Efforts to identify those kidnapped are ongoing, with the head teacher of the school and some staff members among those abducted.
According to reports, a pupil identified as Ahmed, who sustained gunshot wounds during the attack, succumbed to his injuries while receiving treatment at Birnin-Gwari General Hospital.
The community is reeling from the shock of the incident, with residents describing the bandits as wielding dangerous weapons and taking their victims into the forest.