Zamfara imposes curfew, closes schools as bandits abduct 73 students

The Zamfara Police Command late Wednesday called for prayers as it announced the commencement of the search for students taken away earlier in the day gunmen from Government Day Secondary School Kaya, Maradun Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

The call was contained in a statement by SP Muhammed Shehu, the Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO), who put the number of kidnapped students at 73.

“The Zamfara State Police Command wishes to confirm the abduction of 73 Students of Government Day Secondary school, Kaya, in Maradun LGA.

“The abduction followed the invasion of the school by a large number of armed bandits on Wednesday at exactly 1122 hrs,” the statement said.

Shehu said that the Commissioner of Police, Ayuba N Elkanah, has deployed a search and rescue team with a mandate to work in synergy with the military to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students.

According to him, the CP further appealed to the general public, especially parents and relatives of the abducted students, to exercise patience and continue to pray for the success of the ongoing rescue operation.

He said that security has been beefed up at Kaya community and environs to forestall further attacks.

“Further development will be made known to members of the public,” he promised.

Meanwhile, the Zamfara Government on Wednesday announced a dusk-to-dawn curfew on 13 local government areas in the state.

CP Ayuba Elkana announced the curfew while addressing newsmen in Gusau, the state capital.

Elkana said that the curfew is with immediate effect from 6 p.m. to 6 a. m. daily in the 13 local government areas except Gusau, the state capital.

According to him, the curfew takes effect from 8 p.m. to 6 a. m in Gusau, the state capital until further notice.

He said that the curfew had been imposed as part of measures to tackle the growing banditry and kidnapping in the state.

The commissioner also announced the total and immediate closure of “all schools in the state.”

Elkana said that the measures followed the increasing rate of attacks and abduction of school pupils, students and even teachers in schools across the state.