One of the students abducted by unknown gunmen at Government Science Secondary School Kankara in Katsina State, has said that he escaped from the bandits by crawling after they were drag to the bush with his colleagues.
The escaped student, whose father did not want his name published spoke to BBC Hausa service on Monday.
The 17-year-old student said they first began to hear gunshots and later ran to rescue themselves but the bandits were already after them.
“It was on Friday night around 9:30pm after we came back from our classes for night reading when we heard gunshots. Initially, we thought it was not in our school but later, we began to see them coming towards us. We then began to run and crossed the school fences but they used torch lights on us saying that we should come back.
“We thought they were security personnels, but later when they gathered us at one place, we realised they were gunmen”.
He said many of them were abducted but were later counted by the bandits, adding that they were beaten and dragged to the bush amidst thurns and other things.
520 pupils counted
“After they have gone to the bush with us they asked one of us to count us and there were 520 pupils.
“Because it was in the night I didn’t know where they are taking us to. They beat us and we spent almost the whole night trekking inside the bush despite the thurns. It was around 30 minutes to the morning when they asked us to sleep,” he added.
How he escaped
On how he escaped from the bandits, the student said only God knows how it happened and that he was lucky to hide behind a tree and later crawled out of the bush.
“When they asked us to sit down I was then lucky to escape and hide behind a tree. After they move with my colleagues I then started crawling to the main road and to the nearby town.
“From then I moved on, I cannot see anything again. I didn’t know where they took my colleagues to. They just moved inside the bush with them.”
Govt contacts abductors of Katsina school boys
Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, has disclosed that the abductors of the students at the school have contacted his government on modalities for their safe release.
This is coming as he also revealed that the security agencies deployed for rescue operations had located the position of the children at the abductors’ hideout.
Briefing newsmen on Monday after meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Daura, the governor noted that talks are ongoing to ensure safe return of the students in captivity.
He noted that he was at the President’s hometown to personally brief Buhari on efforts being put in place and steady progress recorded in the ongoing operations to bring the students out unharmed.
According to him, the kidnappers have made contact and discussions were already on pertaining to safety and return to their homes.
“We are making progress and the outlook is positive,’’ the Governor told newsmen after an hour meeting with the President, which started at 2pm.
Masari hinted that contrary to different reports, Buhari was fully committed to the rescue of the school children and ending all forms of insecurities across the country.
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