July 05, (THEWILL) – Over 100 students of Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna, have been reported abducted after bandits attacked the school early Monday.
THEWILL had reported that gunmen attacked the school, located at Damishi town of Chikun Local Government Area in Kaduna State, and took away scores of students.
A teacher at the school, Emmanuel Paul, said that the bandits took away 165 students.
On his part, the Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Kaduna Chapter, Rev. John Hayab, told newsmen that as of Friday, there were 180 boarding students in the school.
Hayab, who is also a member of the Baptist Church, said that so far, 26 students had returned and he was hopeful that more would escape from the bandits.
The attackers were said to have scaled a fence to break into the school in Kaduna state in the early hours of Monday.
“The kidnappers took away 140 students, only 25 students escaped. We still have no idea where the students were taken”, Emmanuel Paul, a teacher at the school told newsmen.
However, Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Mohammed Jalije, who confirmed the incident said “17 of the students have been rescued.”
“Tactical police teams went after the kidnappers. We are still on the rescue mission.”
Jaliye said that the exact number of students abducted by the bandits had yet to be ascertained, adding that details would be made public in due course.
Bethel Baptist High School is a co-educational college established by the Baptist Church in 1991 at Maramara Village in Chikun District outside the state capital Kaduna.
Monday’s attack was the fourth mass school kidnap in Kaduna State since December.
The abduction came just hours after gunmen also snatched eight medical employees from a Kaduna health centre, according to police.
Kaduna State’s Governor Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai has been most vocal against payment of ransoms.
