Gunmen abduct Islamiyya school children in Niger

By Maureen Ikpeama

Niger State Government has confirmed the abduction of unspecified number of pupils from Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Tegina, iin Rafi Local Government Area of the state.

A statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Ahmed Ibrahim Matane confirmed the incident. He said an investigation was ongoing.

Ahmed Matane said that government was yet to ascertain the number of pupils kidnapped from the school. He disclosed that government deeply shares the anguish of the parents of the Kidnapped pupils of the Islamiyya School, stressing that the state government, in collaboration with security agencies are working round the clock to bring this tragic saga to an end with no loss of innocent life.

The SSG stated that it is a time for the people of the state to unite and support the state government regardless of political, ethnic or religious affiliations with a view to defeating a common and dastardly enemy.

He assured the people of the state that insurgency and all forms of criminality will soon be a thing of the past and called on the citizens to pray fervently so that the state can get out of the present situation.

Sources said almost 200 pupils of the islamiya school were abducted by the gun wielding bandits that stormed Tegina in Rafi Local Government Areas of Niger State few kilometres from Kagara, the headquarters of the council were over 28 students of Government Science College, Kagara were kidnapped by bandits in February this year.