Gunmen in Zamfara State on December 31, 2021 kidnapped 21 students of Islamiyya school in Rini town, Bakura Local Government Area of Zamfara State alongside their teacher and driver.
The incident was confirmed on Saturday by the spokesman of the Zamfara State Police Command, Shehu Mohammed.
Speaking with newsmen at the Command headquarters in Gusau, the state capital, Mohammed, however, revealed that operatives have been able to rescue the 21 students.
This leaves the teacher, Mallam Lawali Ibrahim, and driver in the hands of the abductors, who struck on new year eve.
According to Mohammed, the school children and their teacher were travelling to Dandume in Katsina State when the armed bandits blocked the highway and abducted many commuters along the road.
He said: “On 31st December, 2021 at about 11:00 p.m., a distress call was received from Kucheri Village via Tsafe Local Government Area that armed bandits in their large number blocked Gusau-Funtua federal highway at Kucheri axis and abducted unspecified number of commuters in five different vehicles.
“Police tactical operatives in conjunction with the military promptly responded to the distress call and moved to the scene where they engaged the bandits in a gun battle.
“The police operatives succeeded in rescuing 21 kidnapped children including two females who were coming from Rini Village in Bakura Local Government Area to Katsina State along with their teacher named Lawali Ibrahim.”
Mohammed said the teacher, driver of the bus and other commuters were still in captivity, adding that the Commissioner of Police, Ayuba Elkana, has deployed operatives to ensure the rescue of the kidnapped victims.’
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