Suspected bandits have attacked Government Secondary School, Opada-Olowa in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, kidnapping the school principal, a National Examinations Council supervisor, and four students.
It was gathered that the attack occurred at about 2 p.m, on Tuesday, while students were sitting for the examination.
According to residents, the heavily armed assailants stormed the community, firing sporadically to scare people before invading the school.
A community leader, Sunday Alkali, said residents were relaxing under trees when the gunmen suddenly attacked.
“The gunmen seemed surprised to see many people outside at that time of the day and initially retreated. They later returned, shooting indiscriminately, forcing everyone to flee for safety,” he said.
Residents said it was only after the gunfire subsided that they discovered the school had been attacked.
“We initially did not know what the gunmen were after. After the shooting stopped, some of us went to the school and found examination papers scattered across classrooms and the school premises. There were no students or school officials in sight,” another resident said.
The kidnapped victims were later identified as the school principal, Mr. Nyada Daniel; the NECO supervisor, Mr. Solomon Audu; and four students.
Residents noted that the number of abducted students could have been higher but for the fact that only a limited number of candidates were writing Literature in English at the time, unlike core subjects such as English Language and Mathematics, which attract larger attendance.
On Tuesday evening, the kidnappers were also said to have contacted some relatives of the victims, demanding ransom for their release.
“At least four families have received calls from the abductors demanding huge sums of money for the victims’ freedom,” Alkali said.
Following the incident, soldiers, police officers, local vigilantes and hunters were mobilised to the area to track the abductors and rescue the victims.
“As I speak with you, soldiers, policemen, vigilantes and hunters are combing the surrounding forests in search of the kidnappers,” a resident, who requested anonymity, said.
Kogi State Police Command, which confirmed the incident, said the attackers abducted the school principal, a NECO ad hoc staff member and four students while the examination was in progress.
State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Saliu Oyiza Afusat, said a combined team of security agencies immediately launched a rescue operation.
Saliu said, “A combined team of the Police and other security agencies immediately launched a search-and-rescue operation and is currently on the trail of the assailants.
“So far, one of the abducted students has been rescued, while efforts are ongoing to secure the safe rescue of the remaining victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
“The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State Command, CP Naziru Bello Kankarofi, the Brigade Commander and the State Security Adviser to the Governor are currently en route to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.”
The PPRO added that the command would issue a more detailed statement as additional verified information becomes available.
Meanwhile, residents linked the latest attack to the worsening security situation in the area, recalling that a farmer was killed on his farm a few weeks ago.
The incident reportedly prompted the community to ask herders to leave the area amid rising tensions.
