Not All Kidnapped Kaduna Students Have Been Rescued, Says El-Rufai

Malik Yahya/

Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, has revealed some of the abducted students of Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka-Igabi, are yet to be rescued by security operatives.

The governor disclosed this on his verified Twitter handle, @elrufai, this afternoon.

El-Rufai’s disclosure came of the heels of the announcement by the state government that 180 of the students, who were abducted by bandits, yesterday night, have been rescued.

El-Rufai’s tweet reads, “KDSG Security Update: Friday 12th March 2021: 180 rescued by troops of the Nigeria Army early today Friday, March 12. Several male+female students still missing following bandit attack at Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka-Igabi LG. Search & rescue efforts continue.”

Commissioner for Internal Security, Samuel Aruwan, had, in a statement disclosed that the students were rescued by the Nigerian Army.

He also confirmed that about 30 of the students were yet to be accounted for.

“180 rescued, several students missing following attack at Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Igabi LGA. Troops of the Nigerian Army in the early hours of today, Friday, 12th March 2021 rescued 180 citizens, many of them students, at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Igabi local government area of Kaduna State” the statement reads.

Arunwa said in the statement that armed bandits in large number had attacked the institution at around 11.30pm yesterday and kidnapped several students and staff.

The armed bandits, according to him, broke into the institution by breaching a perimeter fence and then encroached about 600 meters to attack the first facility.

The Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs on receiving a distress call, alerted the 1 Division Nigerian Army and the Air Training Command of the Nigerian Air Force. Troops of the Nigerian Army immediately moved to the school and engaged the armed bandits accordingly.”

“The troops successfully rescued 180 citizens; 42 female students, eight staff and 130 male students. However, about 30 students, a mix of males and females, are yet to be accounted for. Some of the rescued students were injured and presently receiving medical attention at a military facility.”

Not less than 800 students have been abducted since December and this is the third kidnapping of students from their schools in 2021 in Nigeria.

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