As if to welcome President Muhammadu Buhari to his Daura hometown in Katsina State, Friday, December 11, 2020, armed bandits prowling freely in the state stormed a secondary school in nearby Kankara community and abducted a yet to be determined number of students.
President Buhari arrived Katsina and headed for Daura, his home, same Friday where he was expected to spend one week on a private visit. He was, as usual, received on arrival at the Umaru Musa Yar’Adua International Airport, Katsina and at the Helipad in Daura by top government functionaries, leading traditional rulers and other dignitaries.
But the bandits, same Friday night, raided the Government Science Secondary School (GSSS) Kankara, Katsina, and abducted the students whose number is yet to be ascertained by the authorities.
In a statement, following the dare devil kidnap operation, Gov. Aminu Masari of Katsina State ordered the immediate closure of all boarding secondary schools in the state through a directive issued by his Director-General on Media Affairs, Mr Abdu Labaran today.
Masari, Labaran explained, spoke when he visited the school in company of his Deputy, Mannir Yakubu, other government officials, some parents, traditional and religious leaders as well as security officials.
The Governor, who could not control his emotions, pleaded with the people to be patient and show restraint and understanding, assuring them that government would do everything necessary to ensure the release of the abducted students.
He said that already, the military, the police and the Department of State Security had swung into action and were on the trail of the bandits.
Masari further assured them that both the Federal and state Governments were doing their best to bring an end to the spate of banditry and other criminal activities in the state.
“The government is very firm in its resolve to be ruthless in any engagement with the bandits,” he said.
