Gunmen have kidnapped no fewer than six pupils at the LGEA Primary School, Alwaza, in Doma, the headquarters of Doma Local Government Area of Nasarawa State.
Daily Trust learnt that the gunmen invaded the school premises around 7.30am on Friday and abducted the schoolchildren.
An impeccable source in the community, who didn’t want his name to be mentioned, informed our correspondent that pupils were still arriving when the incident occurred.
He said, “The incident is very worrisome. It was just like a drama. We had never envisaged this ugly scenario in our community.
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“The schoolchildren, about six of them, were kidnapped by the heavily armed men and they took them to an unknown destination.
“As residents, we could not do anything to rescue them because the criminals were well loaded with weapons, but we have informed the police and it is my wish that they will rescue the pupils unhurt.”
Confirming the incident to our correspondent, the Deputy Director Army Public Relations, 4 Special Forces Command, Doma Barracks, Major Joseph Adekule Afolashade, said six children of Alwaza Primary School in Doma were kidnapped by gunmen.
He said the command had intensified efforts to ensure that the victims are rescued unhurt.
However, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Ramhan Nansel, said the pupils were not kidnapped on the school premises.
He explained that those kidnapped by the gunmen were two boys, 7 and 8 years old, adding that they were on their way to school when tthy were abducted.
The PPRO, however, said as soon as the police received the information, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Maiyaki Baba, led officers of the command, vigilante groups and other security agencies to the scene of the attack.
He said, “The information I have is that two boys between age 7 and 8 were the ones taken away on their way to school at LEA primary school, Alwaza village.
“On receipt of the information at 7:10am today, a joint team led by the Commissioner of Police consisting of the police, military and vigilantes were drafted to the scene of the attack to rescue the kidnapped pupils and track down the criminals.
“We are still on the trail of the abductors and we promise to do everything within our powers to address the situation.”
