Kagara: Niger vigilantes join mission to rescue abducted schoolchildren
- A local vigilante group in Niger have pledged full support for the rescue of the Kagara children
- The students of Government Science College, Kagara, were abducted on Wednesday, February 17
- The FG had earlier promised that it would secure the release of the students unhurt
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Following that abduction of some students of Government Science College, Kagara in Niger state, a local vigilante group has joined in efforts to rescue the children.
TheCable reports that more than 50 members of the local vigilante group at the Rafi local government area, where the school is located, were joining the rescue efforts.
Legit.ng gathered that while some of the vigilantes are volunteers, others were drafted in through the efforts of local governments in the state.
Source: Twitter
The online medium said that as of the evening of Thursday, February 18, they were moving into nearby forests where the children were reportedly taken to.
Some gunmen suspected to be bandits had attacked the school during an operation that lasted for about three hours on Wednesday, February 17.
According to the report, at least 41 people including 27 students and nine of their family members who are mostly children were taken hostage by the attackers, adding that the school was deserted when it was visited.
It added that there were, however, a few staff members and parents of the victims waiting in anticipation for the good news regarding the development.
The local vigilante group would join a team of security agencies that have been deployed to the state.
The minister of defence, Bashir Magashi, had promised that the government would secure a swift and safe release of the schoolchildren.
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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that hours after the abduction of Kagara students of Government Science College in Niger, one of the state's senators Sani Musa (Niger East) said the abductors were terrorists, not bandits as popularly assumed.
It was reported that while speaking on Wednesday, February 17, Musa likened the unfortunate abduction to that of Chibok (Borno), Dapchi (Yobe) and Kankara (Katsina).
The bandits have embarked on a kidnap rampage across the country amid security crises which forced the federal government to change the service chiefs in January.
Niger has become a new fortress of different gangs of bandits and kidnappers, with the United States warning that Boko Haram terrorists are now in the state causing mayhem.
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Wale Akinola is a passionate journalist and researcher. He works as a senior political/current affairs editor at Legit.ng. He holds both B.A and Master’s degree in Communications and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan. He also holds a Diploma Certificate in Peace Journalism. He has over 15 years of work experience in both print and online media. He derives joy in keeping the public abreast of current happenings locally and internationally through his writings.
Source: Legit.ng
