AN unspecified number of students of Bethel Baptist High School in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State were abducted when terrorists attacked the school on Monday.
The gunmen opened fire when they invaded the school before taking the students away in the early hours of Monday.
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The number of abducted students could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report as Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Kaduna State Police Command Mohammad Jalige did not respond to telephone calls and text messages from The ICIR regarding the incident.
The ICIR also called the Chief Press Secretary to the Kaduna Government Muyiwa Adekeye, who also did not respond to calls or messages.
However, Kaduna State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Joseph Hayab confirmed the incident to The Cable.
According to Hayab, his son who is also a student of the school narrowly escaped being abducted.
The chairman who could not state the number of abducted students said that many students of the school were missing and were believed to have been abducted.
“We cannot give the exact figure of those abducted for now, until those who ran into hiding for safety are back and a census of the students is taken, but we know they took a lot of students.
“I was informed that bandits invaded the school around 2: 00am. They have just started the NECO exam and see what we are going through,” he said.
There has been an increase in the rate of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism in Kaduna State in recent times.
Hundreds of people have been killed or kidnapped by terrorists within the state.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.
