Gunmen Kidnap Students In Ogun
A secondary school in Ogun State, Nigerian Turkish International Colleges, NTIC, located in Isheri area of the State has been attacked by gunmen who kidnapped eight students and staff of the school.
The gunmen attacked the school on Friday and abducted three regular students, two others who were preparing for Joint Admission and Matriculation Board exams and three members of staff.
Narrating their ordeal to reporters who stormed the premises of the school yesterday, both the Principal and Security Adviser, Yunus Emre Dogan and Stephen Adewunmi, said the gunmen came into the school and started shooting sporadically.
According to them, the abductors immediately made their ways into the female hostel where three students were kidnapped alongside the house mistress and a Turkish teacher who teaches mathematics in the school.
They further explained that three students who were also studying for their UTME exams were also taken away alongside a cook.
The school officials explained that the abductors dug a big hole through the fence of the school from where they escaped through the swampy surrounding.
Dogan explained this while playing host to the deputy governor of Ogun State, Mrs Yetunde Onanuga who led other members of Ogun State Executive Council to the school for an on-the-spot assessment.
Security operatives including the Assistant Commissioner of Police, AIG zone II, Kayode Oluranti; the state Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Ilyasu; the State Director of State Security, DSS, Kabiru Sanni, were all on hand to assess the situation.
Addressing the aggrieved parents, the Deputy Governor said the government was on top of the situation to ensure the safe return of the kidnapped students adding that government had immediately put security measure on ground.
She said, “We are here to express our concern and sympathies. It is unfortunate that, this is happening barely few days on school resumption. When we heard about it, we quickly sprang into action, hence the urgent visit.
“Our government has put necessary security measure in place for the rescue of the abductees. Ogun State is already in action. Let me reassure you that we are going to rescue the victims soon.”
She appealed for calm urging the parents not to take panic action by removing their children from the school.
“No doubt, it does happen once a while but it’s unfortunate, the state is aware and we are doing the work, we will do all that is possible for the safe return of the children. The FG is aware and they have also assured us that very very soon, they would be rescued.
“It’s not the time to start taking children out of the schools, the security operatives are all on ground to ensure safety of life and property of the school. We will do all that is possible to make sure the school is safe and the school authority is also doing what is possible to ensure that the state is safe.”
Meanwhile, parents have insisted that the school would be shut down for two weeks within which they expected security measures to be put in place.
One of the parents whose child was kidnapped, Ahmad Ajani said he got the news in the midnight that his girl was involved.
Ajani who described the incident as sad and unfortunate said his child, Hanatullah Aderinto Ajani, 22, was in the school to study for the JAMB exams before the incident.
He said, “Somebody called in the midnight that something happened here and my daughter was involved, I had to come down this morning and the Police Commissioner addressed us assuring that they would work on it and that everything would be alright very soon.
“I am very sad but prayerful that the they are rescued on time, as I am standing, I am traumatised, you can imagine a girl of 22 preparing for University and somebody tool her away, it is a big loss.”
Another parent, Funmi Tijani blamed the management of the school institution for not putting up enough security measures including lighting up the area.
As at time of filling his report, the abductors had neither contacted the school or parents of affected students.
