Nigeria Police Force officers in Kogi State have rescued 17 students who were kidnapped from an Islamic school in Lokoja while security forces sets up attempts to free the remaining victims.
It was discovered on Monday that the students were abducted on Saturday at approximately 11:45 p.m. when gunmen broke into Daarul Kitab School, an Islamic school with an orphanage attached, which is situated in Zariagi along NNPC Road, Kabba Junction.
In a statement made by ASP Saliu Afusat, the state police public relations officer, stated that 26 people were first kidnapped, including two of the owner’s wives and 24 students.
According to Afusat, a joint security team was mobilized by the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Lokoja’s “B” Division after the incident, which resulted in the rescue of seventeen victims.
“To ensure the safe release of the remaining nine victims, rescue operations are ongoing by joint security operatives, comprising the police, military, and other security agencies,” she stated.
Since then, Naziru Kankarofi, the state commissioner of police, has visited the area and directed the deployment of tactical squads for surveillance, intelligence collection, and bush combing.
The leadership encouraged the public to submit reliable information while assuring locals that efforts are being made to save the remaining victims and capture the offenders.
The Kogi State Government, meanwhile, denounced the assault and called it regrettable and preventable.
According to Kingsley Femi Fanwo, the state Commissioner for Information, security personnel acted quickly, rescuing a number of victims, and efforts are still being made to obtain the release of others.
However, he expressed worries about the school’s purported operation in a remote area without the necessary registration or communication to the appropriate authorities.
Fanwo advised operators to abide by rules and cautioned that unregistered schools and orphanages in remote areas provide significant security hazards, particularly in the current security environment.
Due to their vulnerability, schools, religious institutions, and rural communities are increasingly being targeted by kidnapping for ransom, which continues to be a significant security concern in some parts of Nigeria.
