Katsina Attack: Police Go After Abductors Of School Children, Deploy Additional Security

The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Muhammed Adamu has ordered the deployment of additional operational and investigative assets to support the ongoing search and rescue operations in Kankara and its environs in Katsina State.

The IGP disclosed this in a series of tweets on Saturday, following the abduction of students of Government Science Secondary (GSS) School, Kankara by suspected bandits on Friday.

THE WHISTLER reports that the attack occurred on the same day President Muhammadu Buhari arrived at his Daura hometown in Katsina for a weeklong private visit.

The suspected bandits were said to have attacked the GSS school, and kidnapped several students.

At least 400 students were said to be missing after the bandits invasion.

The attackers shot sporadically for two hours before attacking the school, reports BBC Pidgin.

But the police said the “exact number of students missing cannot be ascertained at the moment as massive operations including investigations, search and rescue exercise are still ongoing”.

The force, however, added that Investigations so far revealed that one of the attackers was killed and a policeman injured during the attack.

“The deployment, which includes personnel from the Police Tactical Squads and crack detectives from the Force Intelligence Bureau, will provide investigative support to the Katsina State Police Command.

“They are also to work in sync with the military and other law enforcement agents in coordinated efforts aimed at rescuing the students, hunting down the perpetrators and bringing them to book.

“Meanwhile, the IGP has ordered the immediate review and strengthening of security arrangements around educational institutions in the country,” the police said.