Kaduna state government has on Friday announced that 172 students kidnapped from Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State have been rescued.
It would be recalled that MDB earlier today reported that gunmen stormed the institution late Thursday, abducting several students.
According to BBCHausa, a witness said half of the female students were taken but not a single male was abducted.
Read Also: Breaking: Gunmen Storm Kaduna School, Abduct Many Female Students
Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who initially confirmed the incident, has now disclosed that some of the students have been released via a statement issued.
He said troops of Nigerian Army in the early hours of today rescued the victims comprising 130 male students and 30 female students.
The commissioner also noted that eight staff members of the institution were also rescued from the kidnappers.
He expressed;
Troops of the Nigerian Army immediately moved to the school and engaged the armed bandits accordingly.
The troops successfully rescued 180 citizens; 42 female students, eight staff and 130 male students. However, about 30 students, a mix of males and females, are yet to be accounted for.
According to Aruwan, some of the rescued students were injured and presently receiving medical attention at a military facility.
Receiving the report, the commissioner noted that Governor Nasir El-Rufai “thanked the troops for their swift response and the rescue of the 180 citizens,” while wishing the injured students a speedy recovery.
Meanwhile, a combined team of Army, Air Force, Police and DSS troops are conducting an operation to track the missing students.
The armed bandits in large numbers had attacked the institution and kidnapped several students and staff.
The bandits were said to have broken into the institution by breaching a perimeter fence before encroaching about 600 meters to attack the first facility.
Read the full statement below;
180 rescued, several students missing following the attack at Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Igabi LGA
Troops of the Nigerian Army in the early hours of today, Friday, 12th March 2021 rescued 180 citizens, many of them students, at the Federal College of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, Igabi local government area of Kaduna State.
The armed bandits in large numbers had attacked the institution at around 11:30 pm on Thursday and kidnapped several students and staff.
The armed bandits broke into the institution by breaching a perimeter fence. They then encroached about 600 meters to attack the first facility.
The Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs on receiving a distress call, alerted the 1 Division Nigerian Army and the Air Training Command of the Nigerian Air Force.
Troops of the Nigerian Army immediately moved to the school and engaged the armed bandits accordingly.
The troops successfully rescued 180 citizens; 42 female students, eight staff and 130 male students. However, about 30 students, a mix of males and females, are yet to be accounted for.
Some of the rescued students were injured and presently receiving medical attention at a military facility.
Pictures of some of the rescued persons, and the broken perimeter fence, are attached to this update.
Receiving the report, Governor Nasir El-Rufai thanked the troops for their swift response and the rescue of the 180 citizens. He also wished the injured students a speedy recovery.
As at the time of this update, a combined team of Army, Air Force, Police and DSS troops are conducting an operation to track the missing students.
Citizens will be updated on emerging developments.
