Gunmen have abducted five teachers, beating one to stupor, in Government Secondary School, Agba-Ndele in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State on Monday, the Vanguard is reporting.
Among the five teachers kidnapped was a National Youth Service Corps members.
In all, the gunmen kidnapped a corps member serving in Ndele community; two female teachers, one identified as Ogechi Mbadike; and two male teachers.
Vanguard gathered that all the six victims are from the Universal Basic Education section of the school.
Vanguard gathered that the teachers were kidnapped on the school premises around 11am while teaching was in progress.
A source said one of the persons who was also kidnapped that would have brought the numbers of the victims to six was later found by the river bank where he was dumped after he was beaten and fatally wounded by the kidnappers.
Narrating his experience, the victim, who was recovered with bruises along the river bank, told Vanguard that the gunmen met him in class and pointed a gun at him and asked him to move.
The victim, who was simply identified as Mr. Okwukwe, said: “When I noticed that they wanted to take us away, I protested. Because I was insisting that I will not go with them, they started beating me.
“They used their gun to hit me and I started bleeding. As they were beating me, a boat came from hiding and they asked us to enter the boat, but one of them who was acting like the leader asked them to leave me that he does not want me to die in their hands.”
A resident of Agba-Ndele community (names withheld), who said that his cousin was among the victims of the kidnap, regretted that the gunmen kidnapped poor teachers who were rendering service to the nation.
He said no contact has been established with the kidnappers.
Meanwhile, the development has resulted to shutting down of all academic activities in the school.
Similarly, mother of one of the abducted teachers, Mrs. Mbadike, has pleaded for the unconditional release of her daughter, Mrs. Ogechi, adding that her daughter’s health is not fit for tension.
Meantime, the Rivers State Police Command has confirmed the development, stressing that efforts are on to secure their unconditional release.
The Public Relations Officer of the Command, DSP Ahmad Mohammad, who reached Vanguard via a text message, confirmed that a corps member and two female teachers were among the victims.