The Niger State police command has begun a manhunt for the kidnappers of five schoolgirls, their teacher and a security guard from their school, Tulare Academy, Maruba in the Mariga local government area of the state last Sunday
According to a police source, the bandits numbering about 36 invaded the school on motorcycles on Sunday evening and started shooting into the air to create panic and fear and in the process abducted their victims
The private boarding primary school is said to be located on the outskirts of the town and without even a perimeter fence and communication facilities.
The bandits, however, took the advantages of the location to carry out the criminal act.
The school has now been deserted after the attack as parents hurriedly moved in and removed their wards.
Meanwhile, the Niger State police commissioner, Alhaji Adamu Unman has led heads of other security agencies to the school for on-the-spot assessment of the incident.
The police boss who described the attack on the school children as inhuman and barbaric, said “a special technical squad and armed anti-kidnapping squad have been deployed to the area to identify the area and rescue the victims unhurt.”
He explained that the visit of the security chiefs to the scene was to enable them deploy additional security measures to the school and the community to forestall future attack.
Unman, however, said that no amount of pressure and intimidation will deter the command from discharging its constitutional mandate of safeguarding lives and properties of people in the state but appealed to communities in the state to always report to the nearest security agencies, any person or group of persons with questionable character for prompt security response.
Last Sunday the Pastor of Kauna Baptist Church, Danazunmi near Grigori in the Rafi local government area of the state Reverend Genesis Zaka and three female church members were kidnapped by bandits. The names of the kidnapped female church members were given as Tabitha Luka, Liatu Nuhu and Rahila Luka.
The pastor and the female church members were said to have been abducted by the bandits during the morning Sunday service.
An eyewitness who narrated how the incident occurred told our correspondent that during the service, the bandits came in large numbers riding on motorcycles; they surrounded the church resulting in a stampede with many of the worshipers running for their lives.
It was in the confusion that the pastor and the three female church members were kidnapped and taken into hiding.
The source said that on Monday the bandits contacted the church secretary asking for N30m ransom before those kidnapped will be released. The church reportedly pleaded that they could only raise N40,000 which the bandits reportedly rejected but promise to get back to the church.