No fewer that 73 students of Government Day Secondary School Kaya, Maradun Local Government Area (LGA), have been abducted in yet another attack by bandits, the Zamfara Police Command confirmed on Wednesday

State governor Bello Matawalle hails from the local government.

SP Muhammed Shehu, the police spokesman, confirmed the development in a statement released in Gusau on Wednesday.

“The Zamfara State Police Command wishes to confirm the abduction of 73 Students of Government Day Secondary school, Kaya, in Maradun LGA.

“The abduction followed the invasion of the school by a large number of armed bandits on Wednesday at exactly 1122 hrs.

Mr Shehu said that the Commissioner of Police, Ayuba Elkanah, has deployed a search and rescue team with a  mandate to work in synergy with the military to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students.

According to him, 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.

He said that security has been beefed up at Kaya community and environs to forestall further attacks.

“Further development will be made known to members of the public,” he promised. 

Zamfara has become the epicenter of banditry in the North.

In February, 300 students were kidnapped at Government Girls’ College in Jangebe.

The government negotiated for days before the schoolgirls were later released.

Similarly, on August 16, bandits invaded College of Agriculture and Animal Health, Bakura, killing four students and abducting 15.

This was after an earlier attack in July when the provost of the school and a teacher at Government Science College, Bakura were kidnapped in their residences.

(NAN)