Kaduna Pupils escape from captivity

Three primary school pupils abducted at UBE Primary School at Rama village in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State have escaped.

One of the teachers of the school told Daily Trust that the pupils escaped when the bandits attempted to rustle some cows and motorcycles at a nearby community.

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Naomi Francis, a teacher in the school, who escaped abduction, confirmed to Daily Trust that the three pupils have regained freedom but said they had been beaten by the bandits before luck came their way.

However, nothing is known of the three teachers earlier abducted.

Narrating how the bandits broke into the school, she said: “They came in after the morning assembly. We had all gone into the classrooms when six of the bandits came on motorcycles while others surrounded the school.

“I had stepped out from my class when I noticed students of primary 5 and 6 running out. I immediately alerted my students to run and they did.”

Also speaking, a resident, Mai Saje Rama, confirmed that the pupils had returned to the community.

“The vigilante that went after them came back without success, they could not locate the bandits,” he said.

The Councilor of Rama, Aliyu Isa, had told Daily Trust earlier that no pupil was abducted.

He claimed the bandits attacked a nearby village and abducted two persons and also stole cows.

But Kaduna State Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who initially did not respond to calls and a text message sent to his phone, later issued a statement to confirm the abduction.

He had said the government would issue a detailed statement later.

Daily Trust reports that the abduction happened 24 hours after security agents thwarted an attempted abduction of 307 students of Government Science Secondary School in Ikara Local Government Area of the state and another attack at the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) quarters in Igabi LGA of the state.

On Thursday night, bandits had invaded the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, in Igabi LGA and abducted 39 students comprising 23 females and 16 males.

Security agents had earlier rescued 180 of the students but the gunmen who made away with 39 students are now demanding a ransom of N500 million.