It turned out that the attempted kidnap of students at the Government Science Secondary School, Ikara, Ikara Local Government Area of Kaduna State, was not the only such incident foiled by security operatives on Sunday.
The state’s Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, told a press conference on Sunday that there was also a kidnap attempt at around Ifira village in Igabi Local Government area, where bandits attempted to attack a senior staff quarters around the Kaduna Airport general area.
“This attempt was also foiled as troops of the Nigerian Air Force and the Nigerian Army engaged and repelled them, with several escaping with gunshot wounds,” he said.
The Eagle Online recalls that in the early hours of Sunday, suspected bandits stormed the Government Science Secondary School, Ikara, Ikara local government area, in an attempt to kidnap students, but were repelled as students utilized the security warning system in place, and were able to alert security forces in the area.
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.
Arunwan affirmed that all 307 students in the school had been accounted for.
“The Kaduna State government acknowledges the efforts of the security agencies in the recent rescue of 180 students in the vicinity of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka.
“By virtue of access to the facts of the event, the Kaduna State government extends its unequivocal solidarity to the military, police, Department of State Services and other security agencies, whose swift intervention prevented the bandits from abducting more persons,” he said.
He assured that the state government is focused on ensuring the safe return of the missing students, and to consolidate intelligence gathering and security vigilance towards forestalling possible attempts on other facilities or institutions.