LAGOS, March 14 (Xinhua) — A senior security official said on Sunday that Nigerian troops have thwarted an attack by gunmen on a school in Ikara area of the northwest state Kdaduna, while efforts are still ongoing to bring back the 39 missing students from a college in Igabi area of the state after gunmen attack on Thursday night.
Samuel Aruwan, the state commissioner for internal security and home affairs, said at a press conference in Kaduna city on Sunday that a group of gunmen attacked on the Government Science Secondary School in Ikara area between late hours of Saturday night and early hours of Sunday.
“Fortunately, the students utilized the security warning system in place, and were thus able to alert security forces in the area,” Aurwan said.
He said that the security forces comprising the troops of the Nigerian army, police and some security volunteers moved swiftly to the school and engaged the bandits, forcing them to flee. “The troops are still on the trail of the armed bandits,” he said.
According to the commissioner, following a head count by the school management, all students of the school have been verified safe and present. “The attempted kidnap was foiled completely and no student was taken from the school,” he said.
On the missing students from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in Igabi area of the state, Aruwan said, the state government and the troops maintained a clear focus to ensure the safe return of the missing students, and to consolidate intelligence gathering and security vigilance towards forestalling possible attempts on other facilities or institutions.
He said the government will continue to provide updates as further information becomes available.
A series of gunmen attacks has recently happened in the northern part of the most populous African country, including attacks on schools and kidnapping of students.
The latest gunmen attack on school took place on Thursday night when a group of unidentified gunmen attacked the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization in Igabi area of Kaduna.
