Yesterday, an LEA primary school in the Kuriga community of Chikun Local Government Area, Kaduna State, was besieged by bandits who shot a student and kidnapped more than 200 students and teachers.
This incident occurred shortly after an attack by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State, where 300 women were abducted and an IDP camp was set on fire.
The attack took place around 8:30 am during the morning assembly. Witnesses reported that the bandits surrounded the school, abducting students from both the primary and a nearby secondary school, which had been relocated to the primary school premises for safety.
A teacher named Isa was also taken, and a student named Rabilu was shot but survived after being taken to Birnin Gwari hospital.
The bandits forced the children to march towards the northeastern part of the community. The event has left the community in turmoil, with fears of further attacks and concerns over inadequate vigilante equipment and distant security forces.
A state official has acknowledged the incident, and the police have deployed a tactical team to pursue the bandits and rescue the victims.
Senator Shehu Sani expressed his distress over the kidnapping on social media, recalling a similar incident in the same village where a school principal was killed.
The federal government’s Safe Schools Initiative, established after the Chibok abductions in 2014, aims to prevent such attacks. A national plan with an investment of N144.8 billion is set to be implemented from 2023 to 2026, with the government allocating N15 billion for 2023.
The Inspector General of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, has also initiated a training program for the Schools Protection Squad and police officers to bolster school security.
