By Segun Awofadeji in Gombe

Three people were feared dead early this morning among them a student of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Gombe with four seriously injured when soldiers raided a suspected terrorists base in Gombe, the Gombe State.

Narrating the incident to reporters, a student of FCE and a survivor of the raid, Abubakar Adamu stated that the soldiers came to their house around 3:30 am in London-Maidoruwa, a suburb of Gombe town which is directly behind FCE and started pooling down the mud house they were staying in with their armoured vehicle. He said a gun battle ensued much latter which terrified and forced them out of the house through the window as a result of which three people including a student of FCE, Aliyu Jibrin, a prelim student was killed while he said he couldn’t identify the other two dead bodies.

However, the Commandant of the 301 Battalion of the Nigerian Army Gombe, Colonel Joseph Iwara told newsmen on phone that the Army, acting on a tip off, raided the suspected criminals’ hideout but said only one person was killed.
He said the suspected criminals were heavily armed which made the army to strategize before attacking the area adding that on reaching the place, the criminals opened fire on them.

He regretted the death of the student during the operation saying it was unfortunate that one of the rooms in the house was housing some students.

Reacting on the incident, the Provost of the Federal College of Education (Technical) Gombe, Dr. Abbas Adamu Gimba described the incident as unfortunate even though it did not affect any of his staff but the students who were seriously injured with one of them killed. He stated however that the school would not be closed down but that the management of the school would make an immediate provision for all students residing in the area into the school even though the school was facing inadequate student’s accommodation.