Gunmen have killed a student and abducted 27 others in a night-time raid on their boarding school at Government Science Secondary School, Kagara Niger state in the North-central Nigeria.
Niger state Governor, Abubakar Sani Bello who confirmed the incident said three members of staff and 12 of their relatives were also abducted.
The Principal of the school Danasabe Ubaidu, said about 600 boys were asleep in their dormitories when the school during the raid.
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has dispatched the military and police to Niger State for the rescue of the victims.
In a statement issued on his behalf by Garba Shehu, his spokesman, the president demanded that the victims should be rescued immediately.
The security officials are to coordinate the rescue operation and meet with state officials, community leaders, as well as parents and staff of the College.
“Following these reports, the President has directed the Armed Forces and Police, to ensure immediate and safe return of all the captives.
“The President has also dispatched to Minna, Niger State a team of security chiefs to coordinate the rescue operation and meet with state officials, community leaders, as well as parents and staff of the College.
“President Buhari has assured of the support of his administration to the Armed Forces in their brave struggle against terrorism and banditry and urged them to do all that can be done to bring an end to this saga, and avoid such cowardly attacks on schools in the future.
“’Our prayers are with the families of the victims of this attack,” said the President as he condemned the cowardly attack on innocent school children.”
The motive for the attack is unclear, but criminal gangs often carry out kidnappings for ransom in parts of Nigeria.
In the latest attack, the gunmen were said to be in military uniforms and stormed the boarding school for boys in huge numbers, before taking students into a nearby forest.
On Monday about 20 people who were returning from a wedding ceremony were abducted after an attack on their bus in Niger state. Their fate is unclear.
In December more than 300 schoolboys were seized in the town of Kankara in the north-western state of Katsina. They were later released following negotiations with the gunmen.
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