A Teacher and Eight students abducted by bandits on Thursday at the Federal Government College in Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State, have been rescued, according to Rabiu Kamba, a Special Adviser to the Governor of Kebbi State.
Armed bandits on motorcycles, numbering around 150, stormed the college on Thursday around 12:30 p.m. and abducted an unknown number of students.
Kamba said the rescued abductees were currently in military custody, and that plans were in the works to hand the victims over to the government for reunification with their families.
He said, “A teacher and eight students were rescued by the military.
“They are at present in the custody of the military in Dirin Daji. The government will soon receive them for a reunion with their respective families.”
We had reported that troops had engaged bandits in a gun battle in an effort to rescue the students.
One of the students died during the fire exchange.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Force Commander of the Joint Task Force in the North-West Zone, Air Commodore Abubakar AbdulKadir, confirmed this to reporters in Zamfara State on Friday.
‘Rescue operation ongoing’
Meanwhile, the Police in Kebbi State have said the rescue operation was still ongoing for the missing students.
This was contained in a statement made available to newsmen by the police spokesperson of the command, DSP Nafiu Abubakar.
The police also denied the report that their van was used by the bandits in evacuating the abductees, saying the vehicle used in evacuating the yet to be ascertained number of missing students belong to a Kebbi State Judge.
According to him; “In view of the above, the command also wishes to make it clear and to make the record straight that yet to be ascertained of the students are still missing as the rescue operation is still ongoing.
” The white Hilux Van with registration number KBSJ 29, belonging to a High Court Judge, with the inscription of Kebbi State Judiciary, hijacked by the bandits along Birnin Yauri road, was the one used in perpetrating such a dastardly act and not the police vehicle as stated by some media stations.”
