Seven out of the 317 female students abducted at Government Girls Secondary School in Jangabe, Zamfara State have reportedly escaped from their abductors.
According to ChannelsTV, a source from Jangebe town via a phone call on Friday evening confirmed that the girls returned home on their own.
The victims claimed they manoeuvred their way back from the bandits while trekking along the forest.
According to the source, the escaped students said more had also escaped and are expected back soon.
It would be recalled that the girls were abducted from their boarding school in the early hours of Friday.
In reaction to the abduction, Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, said the force will not relent in its efforts to secure the release of the girls
In a statement on Friday, the IGP stated that he ordered immediate deployment of two surveillance helicopters to Zamfara to facilitate the search for the students.
The IGP stated that this was in addition to operatives of the Operation Puff Adder II earlier deployed to the state to support efforts by the command to combat banditry, kidnapping and other related crimes.
Adamu in a statement expressed;
Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force have commenced a coordinated search and rescue operation, involving the deployment of both ground and aerial assets, aimed at locating and rescuing the students of Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, Zamfara State, abducted in the early hours of Friday, 25th February, 2021.
To ensure the success of the ongoing operation, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni, has ordered the immediate deployment of two (2) operational surveillance helicopters to Zamfara State.
This is in addition to the personnel of Operation Puff Adder II earlier deployed to the state to support efforts by the Command to combat banditry, kidnapping and other related crimes.
The joint rescue operation is being carried out by the police, the military and other members of the law enforcement community with support from the state government and other stakeholders.”
Adamu described the abduction of the female students as barbaric while assuring that they would be successfully rescued and reunited with their families.
The IGP called for calm and enjoined members of the public, particularly the people of Zamfara State, not to hesitate in availing the police and the law enforcement community with useful information that can assist in the rescue of the abducted students.
