Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State has said that at least 333 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, are still missing.
The governor who made the disclosure while briefing the federal government delegation including Defence Minister and Service Chiefs, said the school has a total population of 839 students before the incident happened.
“Based on the available record we have, we are still searching for 333 students through either the forest or their parents to ascertain the actual number that has been kidnapped.
“We are still counting because more are coming out from the forest and we are calling through the numbers those parents that have phone numbers to find out whether or not their children have gone back home,” Mr Masari said.
PRNigeria gathered even though the Nigerian military had located the bandits’ enclave and an operation was ongoing to rescue them, no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction of male students.
Before the suspected bandits took away the students, police had engaged them in a gun duel which gave the some of the students the opportunity to scale the fence of the school and run for safety.
The state police spokesperson, Gambo Isah said: “The police, Nigerian army and Nigerian air force are working closely with the school authorities to ascertain the actual number of the missing and/or kidnapped students,” said Isah.
“Search parties are working with a view to finding or rescuing the missing students.”
Nigeria’s president, Muhammadu Buhari, himself from Katsina and in the state on a private trip, released a statement condemning the attacks.
“I strongly condemn the cowardly bandits’ attack on innocent children at the Science School,” he said.
“Our prayers are with the families of the students, the school authorities and the injured.”
