Up to 400 boys could have been kidnapped in the northern Nigerian state of Katsina as their school got attacked by a group of unknown armed men, Nigeria's Vanguard newspaper reported, citing authorities.
The Kankara Government Science Secondary School, an all-boys boarding school, was attacked on Friday. The school's guards were reportedly shot at as intruders stormed the premises. Over 800 children attended the school that day, and it was not immediately clear how many were kidnapped and how many saved themselves by fleeing into bushes.
"The children have continued to return and according to report available, the number of the missing children who have returned are now 406 including the earlier ones found," Katsina Education Commissioner Badamasi Charanchi was quoted as saying.
According to the official, some children spent the night in bushes and began returning after sunrise. Another 200 children were earlier found and returned by the police, the Katsina State Police Command said, as cited in the report.
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Nigeria school attack: Hundreds missing in Katsina after raid by gunmen - BBC News
ReplyDeleteHundreds of students are feared missing after gunmen raided a secondary school in north-western Nigeria.
The attackers arrived on motorbikes and started shooting into the air, causing people to flee, witnesses said.
They targeted the Government Science Secondary School - where more than 800 students are said to reside - in Katsina state on Friday evening.
On Saturday, the military said it had located the gunmen's hideout in a forest and exchanged gunfire with them.
The outcome was unclear but officials said there were no reports of students being injured.
Meanwhile, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack and ordered the school to carry out a full audit of students to find out how many are missing. Parents who dashed to the school to take their children home were also asked to notify the school