President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the attack by bandits at the Government Science School, Kankara in Katsina State where students were allegedly taken captive.
This was contained in a statement released by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, titled “President Buhari strongly condemns bandit’s attack on Katsina school.”
Buhari directed the immediate deployment of officers of the Nigeria Police force and the Nigerian Army to track down the attackers to ensure that no student gets missing or harmed.
The president asked the school authorities to carry out an audit of the population of the students following sporadic shootings reported in and around the school that lead to scores of students fleeing to safety.
He also urged parents and guardians who already took their children and wards away from the school to notify appropriate authorities in order to have a full account of the school population.
According to the statement, he said, “I strongly condemn the cowardly bandits’ attack on innocent children at the Science School, Kankara.
“Our prayers are with the families of the students, the school authorities and the injured,” the statement quoted the President as saying while pledging to continue to support the police and military struggle against terrorists and bandits.
The statement added that the latest briefing received by the President from Governor Aminu Masari, with whom he has been in touch, and the Chief of Army Staff, General Tukur Buratai, the military, supported by airpower has located the bandits’ enclave at Zango/Paula forest in Kankara and there has been exchange of fire in an ongoing operation.
He further said, “The President has directed the reinforcement of security of all schools in line with the safe school’s policy of the administration.”
He further quoted the police authorities as saying that so far, there has not been reported any student casualty.