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Here’s What Officials Are Saying About the 317 Schoolgirls Abducted in Zamfara
On Friday, the 26th of February, 317 girls were reportedly abducted in a midnight raid from the Girls Science Secondary School in Jangebe town, Zamfara State, according to Al Jazeera.
A resident, Musa Mustapha revealed that the kidnappers attacked a military camp and checkpoint, therefore, preventing soldiers from accessing the school during the abduction.
According to Mohammed Shehu, a police spokesperson, joint operations to rescue the girls are being carried out by the police and military officials. In his words, “the Zamfara State Police Command in collaboration with the military have commenced a joint search and rescue operations with a view to rescuing the 317 students kidnapped by the armed bandits in Government Girls Science Secondary School Jangebe”.
“Information available to me said they came with vehicles and moved the students, they also moved some on foot,” Sulaiman Tanau Anka, Information Commissioner for Zamfara state also informed the press.
The parents of the abducted girls have in utter dismay.
“It is disappointing that even though the military has a strong presence near the school they were unable to protect the girls. At this stage, we are only hoping on divine intervention,” Nasiru Abdullahi, a parent of two of the kidnapped girls (10 and 13) lamented.
This is happening barely two weeks after 42 people, of which 27 are students, were reportedly kidnapped from the Government Science College Kagara in Niger State and are yet to be released.
UNICEF’s Nigeria representative Peter Hawkins stated, “We are angered and saddened and by yet another brutal attack on schoolchildren in Nigeria.”
Our prayers are with the families of the victims❤
