Kaduna: One Reported Killed, As Gunmen Abduct JSS3 Students

Gunmen have reportedly abducted an unconfirmed number of students from a school in Kaduna State.

The incident took place on Monday at Prince Academy in Samba-Kasaya, a village around Buruku area in Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

Those kidnapped are said to be some JSS 3 students who are preparing for the Basic Education Certificate Examinations (BECE) before the armed men invaded the school at about 7am and took them away.

The Kaduna State Police Command has yet to confirm the incident and the number of those abducted.

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But a security source in the area told Channels Television that a member of a local group in the village was shot dead by the gunmen while some villagers were also abducted along with the students.

The source also disclosed that troops of the Nigerian Army and other security agencies have begun a manhunt of the kidnappers with a view to rescuing the victims and bringing the culprits to justice.

Monday’s attack comes a week after the state government announced that JSS3 students in the state would resume classes on August 16 and 17.

The Permanent Secretary in the State Ministry of Education, Phoebe Yayi, had explained in a statement that the government approved the resumption dates to allow the students prepare for the BECE which commenced on August 24.

She noted that all school principals were directed to make arrangements to receive the students, in line with the COVID-19 regulations of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).

Proprietors of private schools were also asked to comply accordingly through the Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority and ensure proper arrangements for safe transportation of their students to and from schools.