Government Secondary School, in Iluke community in Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State was on Wednesday invaded by bandits who killed the school’s Vice Principal and two other persons.
The bandits dressed in army uniform came in a large number and invaded the school at about 10 am when Senior Secondary School 111 students were busy writing their WAEC examination.
The bandits who were heavily armed arrived the school on motorcycles said to be more than 40 which they had planned to use to ferry their victims into the bush.
Reports said the bandits came shooting indiscriminately into the air, an action which sent residents to flee into different directions.
The state police command confirmed the incident but said that prompt intervention of security agencies disrupted the kidnappers plans.
The suddenness of the attack caused a stampede within the school as students and teachers scampered for safety.
While the identities of the third victim and the six-year-old child have not yet been officially released, the loss of the Vice Principal has been described by local residents as a “devastating blow” to the community.
The Kogi State Police Command confirmed the incident in a statement on Wednesday afternoon. ASP Saliu Afusat, the Command’s spokesperson.
The statement revealed that a swift response from a joint security task force prevented what could have been a much larger catastrophe.
“Upon receiving distress calls, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Kabba ‘A’ Division immediately mobilized a joint security response.
“The team comprised personnel from the Police Division, the Police Mobile Force (PMF), and various tactical units.
“They were joined by military personnel and local vigilante groups already stationed in the vicinity,” police said.
The spokesperson noted that the combined forces engaged the bandits in a “fierce and prolonged gun duel,” which eventually forced the criminals to retreat and flee into the rugged terrain of the surrounding forests.
Despite the initial chaos and fears that several students had been whisked away, the police have clarified that there is currently no evidence of a successful mass kidnapping.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there is presently no conclusive evidence of a successful mass abduction of students or other residents,” the statement added.
The Kogi State Police Command then urged the public to remain calm but remain vigilant, promising that the perpetrators will be brought to justice.
While reacting to the incident, Kogi State Government expressed deep sorrow over the killing of three residents of Iluke Community by suspected terrorists disguised in military uniforms.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Information and Communications, Kingsley Femi Fanwo, said the government received reports of the attack with sadness and extended condolences to the families of the victims, the people of Iluke Community, and the entire Bunu District.
According to the statement, the attackers invaded the community and disrupted an ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), attempting to abduct students who were writing the examination.
The state government, however, commended the swift intervention of military personnel and local security operatives, whose response thwarted what it described as a planned mass abduction.
Reports available to the government indicated that the bandits had already begun marching the students into the bush before security forces engaged them in a fierce gun battle.
Fanwo said the professionalism, courage and superior firepower of the security personnel led to the successful rescue of all the students, who were returned unharmed to safety.
He disclosed that one of the attackers was killed during the operation, while several others escaped with gunshot wounds.
Security agencies, he added, have launched a manhunt for the fleeing suspects and are working to ensure that everyone connected to the attack is apprehended and prosecuted.
The government praised the military, local vigilantes, hunters and other security personnel involved in the rescue operation, noting that their patriotism and sacrifice prevented further loss of lives and a potentially devastating kidnapping incident.
Fanwo said the state government is closely monitoring developments in the affected community and is collaborating with security agencies to strengthen security presence in the area.
He assured residents that additional measures would be introduced to enhance the protection of lives and property.
Fanwo reiterated that Kogi State would not yield to terror, stressing that criminal groups seeking to undermine peace and stability in the state would continue to face a coordinated and uncompromising response from security agencies and the government. (vitalnewsngr.com)
