ZAMFARA state police command has denied that students were among the people abducted from Government Girls Secondary School Moriiki in Zurmi local government in the state. 

Armed bandits had attacked the school on Wednesday night, while according to a report by the BBC Hausa, residents said students were abducted in the process as well as two teachers.

But the Zamafara police who confirmed the attack in a statement on Thursday said no student was abducted.

“No students were abducted as earlier reported by some media outfits; however, two caterers and three of their children were later discovered missing,” the statement read.

Muhammad Shehu, Zamfara police spokesperson, however, said that two caterers and three of their children are missing.

“The police are collaborating with the school authority to establish the whereabouts of the missing persons,” he said.

He narrated that the command got a distress call around 9 pm (GMT+1)  on Wednesday informing it of an attack by armed men, after which he said some troops were mobilised to the scene of the attack.

Shehu said the armed bandits took to the bush upon the arrival of the troops.

“On the 1st May 2019 at about 21: 30hrs, DPO Zurmi received a distress call that an unidentified number of armed men entered Government Girls Secondary school Moriki through the back fence with intent to attack the school and abduct students,” Shehu said.

“On the spur of the moment, a combined team of PMF/CTU/ and Civilian JTF personnel headed by the DPO mobilised to the school and confronted the armed men and stopped them from gaining access to the students’ hostels.”

The police said a search and rescue operation team has been dispatched to the surrounding bushes for an extensive combing.

Meanwhile, Zamafara spokesperson said security has been beefed up in the school and its environs to forestall future occurrence.

He called on members of the public to be vigilant and report any suspicious character to the police for a prompt response.