By John Shiklam
Several students of Bathel Baptist High School, Damishi, Kaduna, were abducted in the early hours of Monday by bandits who attacked the school.
The hoodlums were said to have invaded the school at about 2am. The bandits were said to have stormed the school in larger number, armed with sophisticated weapons.
Many of the students are believed to have been abducted, though the number is yet to be determined.
Kaduna state Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph Hayab, who confirmed the incident in a telephone interview, said his son who is also a student in the school, was among some of those who narrowly escaped the bandits.
He said many of the students were missing, explaining that it is not possible to determine the number of those abducted until those who probably ran into hiding are back and a census of the students is taken.
He however said many of the students were believed to have been abducted.
“We cannot give the exact figure of those abducted for now, until those who ran into the hills for safety are back and a census of the students is taken, but we know they took a lot of students.
“I am just speechless, I don’t know what to say! My son was among the students who narrowly escaped.
“I am part of this unfortunate incident because it is my church. This is a very, very sad situation for us.
“I was informed that bandits invaded the school around 2am.
“They have just started the NECO exam and see what we are going through”, Hayab said.
Mohammad Jalige, spokesman of the Kaduna state police command, did not respond to telephone calls when contacted.
The latest attack on the school came less than 24 hours after bandits, in the early hours of Sunday raided the National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Centre, Zaria, abducted seven people, includinh a nursing mother.
Details later…
