- How bandits ferried students away in vehicles, motorcycles
- Police thwart fresh abduction in Zamfara, rescue 25
- Niger State closes all schools till new year
- Kebbi varsity shuts down; Borno declares day of special prayer
THE POSERS
- How were 315 staff, students moved from the school by bandits?
- How did gunmen operate for hours without security intervention?
- What is driving the sudden resurgence of mass abductions?
- Allegations of internal sabotage are on the increase
As the search and rescue operations for the abducted students and teachers in Niger State intensified yesterday, concerned Nigerians have continued to ask questions over the perceived ease with which the victims were seized and taken away by the terrorists.
Parents, relations and the nation are anxiously awaiting information on them and those abducted in Kebbi State on Monday.
Minister of State for Defence Bello Matawalle, who has relocated to Birnin Kebbi to coordinate the rescue operation there, said intelligence showed that security agents were getting close to the students.
The Catholic Church, in an update yesterday on the Friday attack on St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri in Agwarra Local Government Area of Niger State, put the number of the abductees at 315.
The Bishop of the Catholic Kontagora Diocese, Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, said 303 of the victims are students while the remaining 12 are teachers.
Niger State Governor Umar Bago convened a high level security meeting in Minna yesterday to assess the situation.
He said government was still compiling the list of the abducted persons.
One of the recommendations of the meeting was an order for the immediate closure of all schools in the state.
Also yesterday, the Adamawa and Taraba state governments suspended boarding in all public and private schools in response to the current wave of attacks on schools by terrorists.
The management of Abdullahi Fodio University of Science and Technology, Aliero, in Kebbi State, similarly ordered the immediate closure of the institution.
All staff and students were asked to vacate the campus without delay.
Tomorrow has been declared a day of fasting and prayer in Borno State on account of the resurgence of terrorism in the state.
Security experts say the current security situation in parts of the country may have been provoked largely by the recent threat by US President Donald Trump to bomb Nigeria over alleged genocide on Christians.
The experts are of the opinion that the terrorists possibly see their victims as potential human shield if and when Washington comes striking.
Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese Bulus Dauwa Yohanna said the number of abductees stemmed from a final verification and census conducted by the school’s authorities.
Yohanna doubles as the state chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
“After we left the school at Papiri, we decided to make calls, do verification exercise and do further enquiries on those we had thought escaped successfully, only to discover that 88 more students were also captured after they tried to escape,” he said.
He added:”Our attention was drawn to when some parents whose children we had thought escaped from the attack also came asking of their children. We became curious and that was when we did census and discovered that they were abducted.
“This now makes it 303 students (male and female) including 12 teachers (4 females and 8 males) bringing the total to number of abducted persons to 315.”
He said statements by the state government and the police that schools had earlier been directed to close their boarding facilities smacked of propaganda.
He said neither the schools nor the Catholic Diocese received any such circular from government.
His words:”That is not true; we did not receive any circular. It must be an afterthought and a way to shift blame.
“In the past, around 2022 when we heard of rumour of security challenge, we did not hesitate, we shut down immediately. Is it when there is a circular from the government asking us to shut down that we will now not obey?
“The school is owned by the Catholic Diocese and not by any individual. None of the Reverend Sisters travelled to Abuja as they alleged. Whoever made that misleading statement should know that it is a false allegation and should withdraw such or provide proof and evidence.
“We have asked the Education Secretary if he received a circular, he said no; or if he was asked to send any to us, he said no. We asked if he was verbally informed, he also said no. Let them tell the world who they gave the circular to, or through what channel they sent it.”
How bandits ferried students away in vehicles, motorcycles
The Principal of the school, Reverend Sister Felicia Gyang, said the terrorists stormed the institution in a convoy of motorcycles and vehicles, after breaking through the gate of the primary section and demobilising the security man on duty by shooting him.
Their first port of call, according to Gyang, was the dormitory for the primary school pupils.
They brought the children out, laid them on the bare ground and then marched them into their get-away vehicles.
The brands of the vehicles could not be immediately verified.
While the terrorists were at it, the principal rallied the teachers to alert the other students to the danger while also trying to contact security agencies, which ended in vain.
They succeeded only in contacting a priest in a nearby urban centre who promised to get the information across to the security agencies.
Many of the students were able to run into a nearby bush to hide, but some were not that lucky. The terrorists seized them and some members of staff.
The principal said that a few hours after the attack, a helicopter was sighted hovering over the school premises.
The shot security man was subsequently taken to the hospital for treatment.
An eyewitness whose husband was among those taken away said the gunmen were heard inquiring from the pupils about their parents and other hostels.
She said the terrorists proceeded to the staff quarters and ordered the occupants out.
They also went to the school clinic and asked for a white priest but did not find him.
They took an image of Holy Mary from the office of the principal and burned it.
It was gathered that on their way out they drove three of their vehicles into a nearby fuel station to fill the tanks.
The petrol station manager was forced at gunpoint to switch on the generator to attend to them.
Niger orders closure of schools
Emerging from yesterday’s expanded security meeting in Minna, Gov. Bago said the immediate closure of all schools in the state would serve as an early Christmas break given the prevailing security concerns.
It will remain in force until further notice.
He described the attack on the school as unfortunate and avoidable.
“This incident could have been avoided; however, it is not a time for blame game,” he said.
“Our mission today is to see how we can rescue these children and all those kidnapped alongside,” he added.
The governor asked security agencies, civil society organisations, organised labour and clerics to unite and focus on the rescue efforts.
He stressed the government’s commitment to protecting lives and property.
Adamawa, Taraba, Yobe govts suspend boarding operations
The Adamawa, Taraba and Yobe states government yesterday took after Katsina and Plateau states in ordering the shutdown of boarding activities in public and private schools following the recent wave of students abduction.
Taraba State Education Commissioner Augustina Godwin said in a statement in Jalingo that all schools should operate as days schools for the moment in view of the “unhealthy situation in the country.”
In a similar statement in Yola, Adamawa State, Education and Human Development Commissioner, Umar Pella, said the move was imperative as “the target of the evil perpetrators is boarding secondary schools.”
Mamman Mohammed, the Director-General, Press and Media Affairs to Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni, said the decision was reached at a security meeting held by the governor with security chiefs in the state.
Mohammed said the directive became imperative after a review of recent breach of security at some schools in some states of the federation.
The aide said Buni had called on the citizenry to pray for leaders, security operatives, peace and improved security in the state and the country at large.
Muhammed quoted Dr Bukar Aji-Bukar, Permanent Secretary, state Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education, as saying that the closure was temporary, pending improvement in the situation.
The Federal Ministry of Education in a circular on Friday announced the closure of 41 Federal Unity Colleges across the country.
Kebbi varsity too
The Office of the Registrar and Secretary to Council of Abdullahi Fodio University of Science and Technology, Aliero, Kebbi State, asked all categories of students, including postgraduate, undergraduate, diploma, remedial and IJMB students to vacate the campus with immediate effect.
All students were given one hour to comply.
Registrar Maimaro Tilli said the institution’s Security Division had been mandated to evacuate any student found within the hostels or other restricted areas on campus.
Students residing off campus, particularly in areas such as Gidan Rami, were also advised to vacate their residences to avoid what the memo described as “embarrassment” by university security personnel.
UN condemns Niger school abduction, says schools must be safe
The United Nations yesterday condemned the Niger State abduction.
The UN Spokesperson, Mr Stéphane Dujarric, said “schools must be a safe place to learn”.
The UN Spokesperson described the abduction of the students closely following those of Kebbi as a “heartbreaking situation”.
“We have witnessed yet another abduction of pupils in Niger State, in that country (Nigeria), just days after the abduction of schoolchildren in Kebbi,” Dujarric said.
“We join our colleagues at UNICEF and the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator’s office, Mohamed Malick Fall, in expressing our deep sympathy to the families and communities affected.
“Every effort must now focus on ensuring the children’s safe and immediate return.”
He underscored that these repeated attacks highlight the urgent need to fully implement the Safe Schools Declaration.
The Safe Schools Declaration outlines concrete steps to safeguard the civilian nature of schools and universities to ensure safe access of students to education during conflict.
Police foil fresh bandits attack in Zamfara, rescue 25 abducted victims
The Zamfara State Police Command yesterday said its men has thwarted an abduction attempt in the state and rescued a total of 25 victims from armed bandits.
It said a group of bandits, wielding dangerous weapons and firing sporadically attacked Kuraje village in the Damba area of Gusau Local Government Area
According to the spokesman for the command, Yazid Abubakar, the police on receipt of a distress call at about 21.45pm on Friday mobilised joint police patrol teams from Damba Division and the Department of Operations, Gusau—working in collaboration with the Community Protection Guards (CPG) to the village to confront the gunmen.
He said the gunmen had by then abducted 10 women and 15 children, all residents of the community.
The security team, he said, pursued the fleeing bandits and engaged them in a coordinated and strategic operation.
“Thanks to the professionalism, gallantry and swift response of the operatives, all twenty-five (25) abducted victims were successfully rescued unhurt. They were immediately relocated to Sabongari Damba for safety and proper profiling,” Abubakar said
The rescued women and children have since been reunited with their families.
The Commissioner of Police, Zamfara State Command, CP Ibrahim Balarabe Maikaba, commended the bravery and dedication of the officers involved in the operation.
He reassured the public of the Command’s commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the state.
Borno declares Monday day of prayers, fasting
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum yesterday asked residents of the state to fast and pray for Allah to stem the current resurgence of terrorism in the state.
Zulum said in a broadcast that Borno, for the 15th year running, has been in the global spotlight on account of the Boko Haram insurgency.
He said the conflict has affected every segment of society, “displacing millions of people across all 27 local government areas, and dislocating the socio-economic activities and livelihoods of our people.”
He said: “We were able to overcome those harrowing days of insurgency by uniting as one, setting aside differences of ethnicity, religion, and sectionalism. We rallied behind our armed forces and other security agencies to confront the common enemy, whose aim was to destabilize our state, the North-East, and the nation as a whole.
“The relative peace attained in the state has contributed to a promising harvest for this year’s farming season. Farmers have been able to cultivate their crops , which is expected to sustain them for the next one to two years.”
We must plan to fight insecurity —Experts
Reacting to the current security challenge, a former Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Mike Okiro advised the Federal Government to take security as a serious project.
“I want the Federal Government to heighten security projects in the country. Security as a project is not something that happens overnight; you have to plan to fight insecurity, make your proposals and follow them,” he told The Nation.
“The constitution is very clear: security is the paramount responsibility of the government. Government should do something to make sure that Nigerians are secure.”
A retired Assistant Inspector -General of Police (AIG), Wilson Inalegwu, said it would appear as if the brains behind the resurgence in terrorism are testing the ability of the new Service Chiefs.
Inalegwu called for synergy between security agencies.
Criminals will not last long if the right steps are taken against them, he said.
He also called for the employment of more policemen as part of measures to stop the menace.
The retired AIG said: “I think these criminals are testing the resolve of the new service chiefs who have just taken office. But they won’t last long if we do the right thing.
“We must continue to strengthen collaboration among security agencies, and also with communities, so we can get to the root of these incidents.
“We also need to tighten security along our borders and state boundaries. When these criminals cross in and out, we should be able to detect and stop them. If we can mobilize the public to support security forces and if the forces build trust and confidence, that cooperation will produce results.
“However, security agencies must also demonstrate capacity. When the public reports suspicious activities like people moving around on motorcycles, the response has to be swift and precise, so innocent people are not harmed.
“Another thing we must do is strengthen first responders. Security presence at schools should be strong enough to hold ground, even briefly, until reinforcements arrive. That also ties into situational awareness.
“The DPOs and DSS units in local government areas, through the local security committees, should train some community members to recognize unfamiliar faces or unusual behavior.
“Food sellers should also be involved. If kidnappers are holding 20 or 200 people somewhere, they need to feed them. They must buy food.
“Even if they have supplies, at some point they’ll need to buy something and that should raise suspicion.
“These are the signs the public should be trained to recognise. For example, someone suddenly buying unusually large quantities of bread.”
On the comment by the President of the United States that ‘Nigeria is s country of particular concern’, he said; “That comment doesn’t speak well of us, but Nigeria is a great country. I believe his remark is meant to make the government wake up.
“And waking up means providing adequate resources for security agencies and holding commanders accountable for how those resources are used.
“Government can even adopt results-based budgeting. For example, if we say kidnappings are high and we provide a specific number of vehicles and funding, security agencies must show results.
“Every three months we should review crime statistics to see if the resources make any difference.
“This “envelope” budgeting system is not ideal. We also need to increase the number of police personnel. As a temporary measure, the government should consider using the Special Constabulary provided for under Part 5, Sections 113 to 121 of the Police Act, 2020. They can serve as a force multiplier if properly equipped.”
A former Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Lawrence Alobi, said:
“Let’s be honest and realistic: the constant back-and-forth over religion does not serve anyone. These are sentiments. The President, as Commander-in-Chief, must stand firm and say: enough is enough.
“Christians have suffered a significant number of attacks in communities like Yelwata and parts of Benue. It’s a fact that cannot be denied.
“Yes, some Muslim communities have also been attacked, but the way the narrative is being pushed makes it appear as though only one group is affected.
“Nigeria is a secular state governed by no particular religion and the government must be conscious of that.
“It is unfortunate that these incidents keep happening, but we cannot wait for foreign leaders, including Trump or anyone else, to tell us what is wrong. We are the citizens. We are the ones feeling the pain.
“We know who is being affected, and we understand the magnitude of the security challenges facing both government and citizens.
“That is why we must all take responsibility. We are not calling for foreign intervention; we are saying the Nigerian government must act.
“These attackers don’t drop from the sky. They come through routes on motorcycles, in vehicles and people see them. Citizens therefore also have a responsibility.
“We all benefit from a safe environment, so collaboration with security agencies is crucial.”
Alobi said the recent US threat against Nigeria may have emboldened the terrorists and now want human shield for themselves.
“He said: “If care is not taken, more will still happen. Protection needs to increase in several communities, especially Christian dominated communities. They are picking people who are vulnerable, the women, girls, children, and they are becoming more daring.”
Another Security Consultant, Habibu Yeman noted that the timing of the CPC designation and the school attack may overlap, but there is no strong evidence that the CPC label caused the Agwara abduction.
He said that the abduction looks very much like part of Nigeria’s larger kidnapping crisis tied to banditry, not necessarily a religious persecution campaign adding that the CPC label could exacerbate Nigeria’s security problems in the long run if it leads to diplomatic fallout, reduced aid, or loss of international goodwill.
“That in turn could embolden non-state actors or strain the government’s counter-insurgency capacity. These kidnappings are part of a domestic security failure as much as a reputational problem,” he said.
Mathew Oladele, a security expert, said the recent attacks might be part of the strategy by the terrorists to provide human shield for themselves in case the US wants to attack them.
APC: Terror attacks aided by ‘internal sabotage’
For the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, the security challenge could only have been possible with the aid of saboteurs.
Publicity Secretary of the party in the state, Seye Oladejo, said in a statement yesterday that certain elements within Nigeria’s security architecture were collaborating with external forces to sabotage national efforts.
“Nigeria stands at a decisive historical junction – not because we are weak, but because enemies of the state, saboteurs in high places, and foreign instigators believe they can manipulate the destiny of a sovereign nation of 230 million people. They are mistaken. Their plot will fail,” he said.
“There is no magic or mystery when terrorists successfully launch attacks despite our advanced intelligence capabilities and iron-proof security alerts.
“This is nothing short of internal sabotage. It is the clear evidence of supposed protectors working hand-in-glove with aggressors.”
Trump: Nigeria doing nothing to stop killings
US President Donald Trump in a fresh outburst against Nigeria claimed that the federal government was doing ‘nothing’ to stop killings in the country.
“The whole thing is a disgrace. They’re killing people by the thousands. It’s genocide. And I’m really angry about it,” he said on Fox News Radio’s ‘The Brian Kilmeade Show’ on Friday.
“And we pay, you know, we give a lot of subsidy to Nigeria which we’re going to end up stopping.
“The government’s done nothing. They’re killing Christians at will. And you know until I got involved in it two weeks ago — nobody even talked about it.”
