How bandits issued notice on Kebbi School attack, accomplished their threat – Lawmaker

The invasion of the Federal Government College, Birnin-Yauri, and the kidnap of unspecified number of students and staff were done with prior notice by the bandits, lawmaker representing Ngaski/ Shanga/ Yauri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives of Nigeria National Assembly, Tanko Sununu, revealed.

The federal legislator narrated on Friday how the bandits penetrated the neighbouring communities from surrounding states, deepened operations till they encroached his constituency after issuing notice of their plans; decrying that, yet, the bandits accomplished their mission, invading the Federal Government College, Birnin-Yauri, Kebbi State, on Thursday. Tanko Sununu was of the view that the Thursday attack was the latest in the chains of attacks on communities in the district.

Tanko Sununu had in a media interaction on Channels Television monitored by National Daily from Lagos narrated: “About two weeks ago, we had an episode when bandits residing within parts of the areas bordering Zamfara, Niger, and Kebbi came up through one of the villages in my constituency.

“They killed a policeman and found their way until they reached Ibeto area where we have a quarry; killed some security men and kidnapped some of the foreign workers in the quarry and left.

“Ten days later, they came back to the same area and entered into my constituency bordering some villages. They had more than a seven-hour field operation going from house to house, room to room, collecting money, phones, cows, and any machine they deemed useful for their operations, and they left a message behind that they would soon be back.

“To fulfill their promise yesterday, we had intelligence that they were on their way coming. Around 10.30am in the morning, they reached their final destination – the Federal Government College, Birnin-Yauri.”

Sununu, however, stated that the bandits on arrival at the school, were initially resisted and engaged in a gun battle by operatives of the Mobile Police and Police Counter-Terrorism Unit stationed at the school. The lawmaker said the gun battle lasted for a long period before the bandits overpowered the police personnel with their large numbers. Unfortunately, there was no reinforcement for the police to increase the resistance confrontations.

According to the lawmaker, the bandits killed one policeman before gaining access into the school and abducted an unspecified number of students and five teachers.

He was optimistic that the military actions in search of the bandits and kidnap victims would lead to the rescue of the students and teachers.

“As at last night, I had a discussion with the Field Commander of Operation Hadarin Daji who said that they have succeeded in entering into the den of the kidnappers and I think this is a major success because the security agencies are now taking the fight to the base of the kidnappers.

“I was also told that over 800 cattle that were rustled some days back have been recovered and as of now, the military has combed the area where we are expecting that the students are with the bandits. They have also succeeded in creating many casualties on the part of the bandits,” the lawmaker said.

Meanwhile five of the kidnap victims comprising of four students and one teacher, have been rescued by the security operatives who are on the manhunt of the bandits. Unfortunately, one student was killed during a gun battle with the bandits in the rescue operation.