The atmosphere created in most Northern states is like a planned kidnapping jamboree as the dreaded militants now visit schools serially and ‘harvest students’ for ransom.
After the previous attack in Government Girls Junior Secondary School, Jangebe, in Zamfara State, the daring bandits have also attempted to raid Government Science Secondary School, Ikara in Kaduna State. But they were not as fortunate.
The armed men invaded the school in the early hours of Sunday but their plot to abduct students was foiled by the military, according to Samuel Aruwan, Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs.
“Between the late hours of Saturday night and the early hours of today, suspected bandits stormed the Government Science Secondary School, Ikara, Ikara Local Government Area, in an attempt to kidnap students. Fortunately, the students utilized the security warning system in place, and were thus able to alert security forces in the area.
“The security forces comprising the troops of the Nigerian Army, Police and some security volunteers moved swiftly to the school and engaged the bandits, forcing them to flee. The attempted kidnap was foiled,” he said.
The incident happened two days after 39 students were abducted from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Afaka, Igabi local government area of the state.
The gunmen were reportedly heading to a secondary school but when they learnt that security had been beefed up at their target location, they invaded the school.
This is the third major feat recorded by security operatives in Kaduna in the last 48 hours.
It had been reported how soldiers prevented gunmen from abducting students of a Turkish school in Kaduna.
Also, an attempt to abduct some persons at the quarters of the Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) in Kaduna was foiled.