As many as 102 students of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, in Kebbi State, were abducted by bandits this week, the principal has confirmed.
Alhaji Almustapha Ayuba Sokoto, the principal, disclosed this to the Emir of Yawuri, his royal highnesses Dr Zayyanu Abdullahi who paid a sympathy visit to the school on Friday.
Ayuba explained that those abducted were 102 students comprising mostly SS1 and SS2, four academic staff and four none-academic staff.
He said that eight students and a teacher had been rescued, while unfortunately three of the students have died. He said that a female student from Wushihi in Niger State died from an asthmatic attack, while two male students from the same state died of exhaustion.
An earlier report had said that one of the students died in the crossfire between the soldiers and the bandits.
The press secretary to Yauri Emirate Mallam Ibrahim who confirmed the number to Vanguard newspaper said the remaining students are still being held by the bandits while soldiers are still battling to rescue them with major gains from the army as they have so far killed scores of them he added.
He explained that the school has been deserted but that the SS3 students who were about to take their examinations had been moved to Government College Yauri but could not confirm if they are still in Yauri.
The press secretary said his royal highness Dr Zayyanu Abdullahi has conveyed his message of sympathy to parents, management of the school and the state government.
He assured them that “very soon the students will be rescued as the state government is on top of the situation”.
In a similar development, the Kebbi State governor who visited the school and an injured student at the hospital urged the parents to remain calm as the government is not relenting on its efforts to quickly rescue the abducted students.
Another source confirmed the arrest by the military at Zuru axis one of the bandits’ leader called “manja gara” in Hausa, as part of the major gains of the military.
