Abduction of Jangebe schoolgirls: Aggrieved residents vent anger on visitors

Abduction of Jangebe schoolgirls: Aggrieved residents vent anger on visitors

Police pledges to rescue kidnapped 317 schoolgirls unhurt
Senate President condemns abduction

A cameraman with Thunder Blowers, an online media company has been taken for treatment after he was attacked by some residents of Jangebe in Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara who are aggrieved over the abduction of over 300 schoolgirls from their community early Friday.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that the aggrieved residents, mostly children and women, took to the streets in protest against the abduction, destroying vehicles entering the village with sticks and stones.

The angry mob attacked two vehicles conveying journalists from various media houses, including NAN, AIT, TVC, Channels and the Thunder Blowers cameraman.

However, it was learnt that the cameraman who was seriously wounded on his forehead was rushed to Gusau, the state capital for treatment.

In a swift reaction, The Commissioner of Police in Zamfara, Abutu Yaro, has assured that the 317 female students abducted from Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe early Friday morning by yet to be identified gunmen will be rescued safely.

“l can assure you that we will rescue all the students unhurt,” the CP said while speaking to journalists on Friday in Jangebe, Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of the state.

He, however, expressed dismay with members of the affected community who resorted to taking laws into their hands by attacking vehicles including those on rescue mission and journalists and appealed for calm.

“People must understand that the government and security agents are on their side and against the bandits that is why it is very important for them to see the need to allow security agents do their work effectively and rescue the victims.

“We are doing our best along with all sister security agencies, members of the vigilantè group and the state government to get to the bottom of this matter.

Meanwhile, The President of the Senate, Ahmad Lawan, while condemning the Fridayattack, expressed sadness and outrage that the incident happened while efforts were still being made to rescue those abducted just over a week ago at another secondary school in Kagara, Niger State.

Lawan said the recurrent attacks on schools and other acts of banditry called for intense soul searching on how the nation arrived at this sorry pass and how to cage the monster of violent crimes in Nigeria.

He expressed his sympathy for the abducted schoolgirls and urged the authorities at all levels to work together to ensure their immediate rescue.

The Senate President also reiterated his call on the state authorities to accord priority to securing schools and other locations now seen as soft targets by savage criminals.

Some residents who spoke with journalists said that the bandits came in their hundreds riding on motorcycles and shooting in the air before entering the school around 2 a.m on Friday.

A staff of the school, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said that 60 of the girls were safe as some of them hid from the attackers during the invasion.