Police confirm abduction of 73 Students in Zamfara

The Zamfara State Police has confirmed the abduction of 73 students of Government Day Secondary school, Kaya in Maradun LGA of the state by bandits.

A statement issued by the command’s spokesman, SP Shehu Mohammed on Wednesday, said that the abduction followed the invasion of the school by a large number of armed bandits that attacked the school at exactly 1122hrs, on Wednesday.

“The Command under the leadership of CP Ayuba N Elkanah has deployed search and rescue team that was mandated to work in synergy with the military to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students,’’ said the statement.

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“The CP further appealed to the general public especially parents and relatives of the abducted students to exercise patience and continue to pray for the success of the ongoing rescue operation.

“Security has also been beefed up at Kaya Village and environ to forestall a further attack on the communities.

It added that, “Further development will be made known to members of the public.’’

Meanwhile Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle has ordered the immediate closure of all primary and secondary schools across the 14 local government areas of the state.

The directive came on the heels of bandits’ attack of Kaya town in Maradun Local Area of the state on Wednesday morning, where a yet-to-be-ascertained number of pupils were abducted from the Government Day Secondary School, Kaya, in Maradun Local Government Area of Zamfara State where the governor, Bello Matawalle, hails from.

However, the indefinite closure of the schools was disclosed by the state Commissioner of Police, Ayuba Elkana, while addressing newsmen in his office.

“I wish to inform the general public that the executive governor of Zamfara State has ordered the closure of all schools within the state. Both primary and secondary schools that are existing here are now closed with immediate effect,” he said