SUSPECTED bandits have attacked Government Secondary School, Opada-Olowa in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, abducting the school principal, a National Examinations Council (NECO) supervisor and four students.
News Point Nigeria reports that the attack reportedly occurred around 2 p.m. on Tuesday while students were sitting for their examination.
Residents said the heavily armed assailants stormed the community, firing sporadically to scare residents before invading the school premises.
A community leader, Sunday Alkali, said residents had been relaxing under trees when the gunmen suddenly appeared in the area.
“The gunmen seemed surprised to see many people outside at that time of the day and initially retreated. They later returned, shooting indiscriminately, forcing everyone to flee for safety,” he said.
According to residents, it was only after the gunfire subsided that they discovered that the school had come under attack.
“We initially did not know what the gunmen were after. After the shooting stopped, some of us went to the school and found examination papers scattered across classrooms and the school premises. There were no students or school officials in sight,” another resident said.
The victims were later identified as the school principal, Mr Nyada Daniel; the NECO supervisor, Mr Solomon Audu; and four students.
Residents noted that the number of abducted students could have been much higher but for the fact that only a limited number of candidates were sitting for Literature in English at the time of the attack, unlike core subjects such as English Language and Mathematics, which usually attract larger attendance.
The kidnappers were also said to have contacted some relatives of the victims on Tuesday evening, demanding ransom for their release.
“At least four families have received calls from the abductors demanding huge sums of money for the victims’ freedom,” Alkali alleged.
Following the incident, soldiers, police officers, local vigilantes and hunters were mobilised to the area to track down the abductors and rescue the victims.
“As I speak with you, soldiers, policemen, vigilantes and hunters are combing the surrounding forests in search of the kidnappers,” a resident, who requested anonymity, said.
Confirming the incident, the Kogi State Police Command said the attackers abducted the school principal, a NECO ad hoc staff member and four students while the examination was in progress.
The Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said a combined team of security agencies immediately launched a rescue operation.
“A combined team of the Police and other security agencies immediately launched a search-and-rescue operation and is currently on the trail of the assailants.
“So far, one of the abducted students has been rescued, while efforts are ongoing to secure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
“The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, the Brigade Commander and the State Security Adviser to the Governor are currently en route to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment,” she said.
Afusat added that the command would issue a more detailed statement as additional verified information becomes available.
Meanwhile, residents linked the latest attack to the worsening security situation in the area, recalling that a farmer was killed on his farm a few weeks ago.
The incident reportedly prompted the community to ask herders to leave the area amid rising tensions.