UPDATE: Police Reveal The Number Of Girls Who Were Kidnapped From Government College In Zamfara

The Nigeria Police Force Zamfara Command has revealed that about three-hundred and seventeen (317) students were abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State.

State Public Relations Officer, Shehu Mohammed, disclosed this in a statement on Friday.

He said the police in collaboration with the military had commenced a joint search and rescue operation with a view to rescuing the 317 students kidnapped by the armed bandits.

The statement added that the girls were kidnapped around 1:00 am. when they stormed the school.

“The Commissioner of Police, Abutu Yaro; the Force Commander Operations Hadarin Daji, Major General Aminu Bande; Brigade Commander, 1 Brigade, Nigeria Army Gusau and other state government officials led a heavily armed team to Jangebe to complement the ongoing rescue operation in the locations where the students were believed to be taken to.

“The CP, while interfacing with the principal of the school and the parents, appealed to them to be calm as joint efforts of the police and other security agencies will lead to the successful rescue of the students,” the statement read.

SaharaReporters had earlier reported that the school which is located within the Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of the state was attacked by some bandits on Friday morning.

The gunmen were said to have arrived the school around 1 am and loaded the girls in buses.

A resident in Kawaye village identified as Seidu Muhammadu who confirmed the development to SaharaReporters said his daughters, Mansura and Sakina, were among those abducted.

"I'm on my way to Jangebe now to see the situation myself. I was told they invaded the school around 1am," he said.

SaharaReporters learnt that the bandits arrived with buses and motorcycles, which were used to take the pupils away.

A source said the bandits, some whom appeared like security agents, were in the school for a long time without being challenged by any security outfit.

The incident comes a week after gunmen struck the Government Secondary School in Kagara, Niger State, abducting school pupils, teachers and workers, who have yet to be rescued as of Friday.

On December 11, 2020, 344 secondary schoolboys were also abducted from Kankara in Katsina, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari, while he was there.

Hundreds of schoolgirls were also kidnapped in Chibok in 2014 by Boko Haram, some of whom have not been released till date.

In February 2018, 110 schoolgirls were also abducted by Boko Haram from the Government Girls' Science and Technical College, Dapchi, Yobe State. Five died in the process while others were later released, except Leah Sharibu, a Christian girl who refused to renounce her faith.