Terrorists abduct over 300 schoolgirls in Zamfara state

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Schoolgirls abducted in Jangebe, Zamfara state

No fewer than 300 female students of Government Girls Secondary School have been abducted by terrorists in Jangebe, Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The abduction is coming after a recent kidnap that happened in Nger State and the latest massive kidnap by terrorists in Northwest Nigeria, after over 300 students from a government college in Kankara, Katsina State in December 2020.

The latest kidnap in the girls school in Jangebe, in Talatu Mafara LGA, happened around 2 a.m today.

The gunmen stormed the school and herded the children away.

Scores of the terrorists were said to have overrun a military checkpoint close to the school before storming the school itself, leaving many soldiers injured.

The Commissioner of Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Dauran in a brief interview on Friday morning, confirmed the news

Dauran, however, noted that the number of students abducted is yet to be ascertained.

He said: “I can confirm to you now that we have sadly received the report on the abduction of the students of GGSS Jangebe and right now, I am on my way to the school.

“At this moment, l cannot say how many students were taken away by the gunmen until l get there, but we have already mobilized security men and members of the vigilantatè who are now in pursuit of the abductors,” the commissioner stated.

A staff of the school who spoke on condition of anonymity said, “the gunmen in their hundreds invaded the town around 2 am on Friday, shot sporadically in the air to scare the residents before coming into the school.

“After taking away most of the students, we rounded up those that escaped or hid from the bandits and conducted a census where we counted 54 students and we are still searching to see if we can get more.”

Also, a resident who gave his name as Haliru Jangebe said, the local vigilantes had tried to repel the invaders but were overpowered.

“The bandits were too many and they all seemed to be carrying heavy arms as we heard gunshots from all parts of the town and when the shots stopped, we heard that the students had been taken away”.

Niger state has also experienced two of such kidnapping by terrorists this month.

On 14 February, 53 passengers of a bus coming from Kontagora to Minna were kidnapped, after the terrorists ambushed the bus.

The passengers, including children were freed following ransom payment.

On 17 February, 27 students and 15 others were also kidnapped in Kagara.

The captives are yet to be released.

And from the statement by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello, the terrorists are demanding ransom before releasing their victims.

The first kidnap of schoolgirls occurred in Chibok, Borno state on 14-15 April, 2014.

It was executed by Boko Haram terrorists.

About 276 schoolgirls were taken away, an action that shocked the world.

Up till now, 112 of the girls are still missing.

Then on 19 February, 2018, the terrorists stormed Government Girls’ Science and Technical College in Dapchi, Yobe State.

They kidnapped 110 schoolgirls aged between 11 and 19 years old. The girls were released in March, after ransom was paid.

Five girls also died during the abduction.

But one of their captives, Leah Sharibu, a Christian has not been released.