Three persons, who were among those abducted by bandits yesterday from the Zamfara College of Agriculture and Animal Science Bakura, have escaped from their kidnappers’ den and returned to the college.
The development was disclosed by the Deputy Provost of the College, Ali Atiku, while speaking to newsmen in the state today.
According to Atiku, two staff and a student escaped from the kidnappers’ den and returned to the school in the early hours of today.
He said, “Two staff and one student escaped from the bandits after they kidnapped them and returned to the school early this morning.
“As I am talking to you now, we have formally discovered that the bandits have kidnapped 15 students all of them male, three women and one person who are also our staff and killed two of our security watchmen.”
The State Police Command was yet to confirm the development as of the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, Atiku’s statement slightly contradicted an earlier account by the registrar of the school, during an interview with BBC.
Recall that the registrar of the college, Aliyu Bakura, while confirming the incident to BBC, said the bandits abducted about 15 students, and two staff of the school (a teacher and his wife).
Also, he said four persons were killed by the bandits, including a police officer and three gatemen.
This is the second time the bandits are attacking the school in less than two months.
It would also be recalled that on July 11, the state’s Police Command confirmed the abduction of the school’s Provost, Bakura Burkullu.
The command’s spokesperson, Mohammed Shehu, had made the confirmation in an interview with newsmen in Gusau, saying, “The entire area has been combed by security personnel and very soon, the victims will be rescued and the perpetrators will be arrested and brought to book.”
Also, the registrar of the college had said the kidnappers broke the window of the provost’s house to gain entrance, adding that a school teacher, who was a neighbour of the provost, was also abducted.
However, they were released four days after they were kidnapped.
Earlier on February 26, bandits invaded Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe, Zamfara State, and abducted many female students, who were later released after spending weeks in captivity.
