•Whereabouts of 15 students, four staff unknown
Operatives in Zamfara State Police Command have rescued three abducted staff of College of Agriculture and Animal Sciences, Bakura, while a policeman and two guards died during a gun battle with armed bandits in the state.
The state Commissioner of Police, Ayuba N. Elkana, accompanied by strategic and tactical commanders, had visited the college following attack by the armed bandits.
The bandits had stormed the school in large number in the early hours of Monday, August 16, 2021, with the intent to abduct a large number of students and staff, but were confronted by the tactical police operatives who were alerted.
Giving an insight to how the incident occurred, the police spokesman in the state, SP Mohammed Shehu, in a statement, said that the timely response of the police operatives led to an exchange of gunfire with the bandits, which, unfortunately, resulted in the death of the Inspector and the two guards, while 15 students and four staff were taken away by the bandits.
The PPRO said that police operatives were able to rescue the three staff members while on extensive bush combing at the sarrounding areas, adding that they would be interviewed and medically examined before their being reunited with their families.
While in the school, the Commissioner of Police, according to Shehu, held an emergency meeting, where he assured the school management and the victims’ relations that the police command, in collaboration with other security agencies, especially the military, were employing various search-and-rescue strategies, in order to ensure the safe rescue of the students and staff currently in captivity.
He also went round the school and assessed the existing security arrangements to enable more reinforcement be provided against further invasion.
The Provost of the school, while briefing CP Elkana, commended the resilience of the operatives and the way they stood firm in spite of the encounter with the bandits.
