Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina State on Sunday confirmed that a total of 333 students of Government Science School, Kankara, Katsina State are missing following the bandits’ attack on Friday night.
Masari disclosed this when he received a Federal Government delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno on Sunday, Channels Television reports.
The governor while explaining that the school has a population of 839 students noted that those abducted cut across board as the school had students from all parts of the state and beyond the state.
He said, “Based on the available record we have, we are still searching for 333 students through either the forest or their parents to ascertain the actual number that has been kidnapped,”
“We are still counting because more are coming out from the forest and we are calling through the numbers those parents that have phone numbers to find out whether or not their children have gone back home.
“We as a government we are yet to be contacted by any group or person responsible for the kidnap of the students.”
Speaking during the visit, leader of the delegation and Minister of Defence, General Bashir Magashi, asked the security agencies to move faster to ensure the speedy rescue of the students.
Magashi added that it has become necessary to declare the bandits as terrorists to encourage people to seat up.
He said, “With the brief, we received from the sister security agencies in the state, this task will be very simple to accomplish.
“Within the next few hours, we will ensure that these people are back without any collateral damage to the people of Katsina State.
“All hands are on deck to ensure we accomplish our tasks within the armed forces and the police. I was here around August on the same kind of mission to sympathise with the government regarding the farmers/herders clashes.”