5 teachers and several students have been kidnapped by bandits after an attack at the Federal Government Girls College (FGGC) in Birnin-Yauri, Kebbi state at about 12 pm on Thursday, June 17, 2021.

The Commissioner of Police, Mr Adeleke Adeyinka-Bode, confirmed the incident to newsmen on Thursday.

Adeyinka-Bode disclosed the time of the attack while stating that the Nigerian Police engaged the bandits in a crossfire, resulting in the death of one policeman and several others injured.

“The truth is that the attack took place, and five teachers have been taken away – four male and one female.

“But the number of students abducted is not known yet,” he said.

He added that only the Head Teacher of the school could give the exact number of students abducted.

“The principal is not in a good state of mind as I am speaking to you now; because parents have trooped into the school searching for their children.

Meanwhile, another account by Usman Aliyu reported that the bandits abducted over 80 students.

“They killed one of the police officers, broke through the gate and went straight to the students’ classes,” he told Reuters.

The attack is the third mass kidnapping in three weeks in northwest Nigeria which has raised questions on what the federal government is doing to curb this violent trend.

Over 800 students have been kidnapped in a series of attacks by bandits seeking ransom since December 2020 till date. Some of the students have regained their freedom, while others have been killed or remain missing.