TheNewsGuru

Tag: Niger State

  • Senator Sani, Niger State Governor fight dirty over Kagara school

    Senator Sani, Niger State Governor fight dirty over Kagara school

    Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello on Sunday fought dirty with former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani over the state of Government Science College in Kagara, where 27 students were kidnapped recently.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Senator Sani is an old boy of the college located in Rafi Local Government Area of the State.

    Bandits abducted 42 persons, including the 27 students, three workers and 12 members of their families from the school recently.

    Photos taken from the school following the abduction of the students, the workers, and their families showed the rotten state of the school.

    On Sunday, Senator Sani asked the State Governor via Twitter to rebuild the school and rename it after the young student who was killed by the bandits when they stormed the school.

    “Dear @abusbello and @GovNiger ,rebuild Government Science College Kagara and rename the school after the young student who was killed by the bandits when they stormed the school,” Senator Sani tweeted.

    However, the tweet appeared to have not gone down well with Governor Bello, who rebuked the Kaduna Senator.

    “Thank you Distinguished @ShehuSani, one of our goals has always been to provide protection and conducive learning environment for our School Children, although one would’ve thought your wise counsel was put to better use when you represented the people of Kaduna Central, either ways. We appreciate and welcome your Kind and Wise pieces of advice always,” the Governor replied.

    Senator Sani, Niger State Governor fight dirty over Kagara school

    Senator Sani quickly responded saying: “Within four years of my stewardship I was able to build 7 primary health care centers in Kaduna Central and 9 Buildings we purchased used as schools & orphanages.Your attention and action is very much needed in Kagara;that school shouldn’t be your image”.

    When asked what he has done for the school as an old boy, Sani responded by saying: “Years ago, I renovated the school Library and donated computers and Books; At a time I renovated one of the hostel and donated beds. I gave financial donations through the old boys club. All these can be verified from either the school or the old Boys Association. Bro Abu,do something”.

  • BREAKING: Jangebe schoolgirls escape from kidnappers den

    BREAKING: Jangebe schoolgirls escape from kidnappers den

    Seven out of the 317 schoolgirls abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe in Talata Mafara local Government Area of Zamfara State have escaped from their kidnappers den.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the 7 seven schoolgirls escaped and reached home on Friday evening, coming less than 10 days after a similar incident happened at Government Science college, Kagara, Niger State.

    A resident in Kawaye village, who identified himself as Sadi Kawaye said his daughters, Mansura and Sakina were among those abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe.

    An undisclosed source narrated to Channels TV how the 7 schoolgirls manoeuvred their way to escape from the kidnappers den.

    Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has described the abduction of the Government Girls Secondary School girls from Jangebe in Zamfara State as inhumane and totally unacceptable, sending out a strong warning to bandits and their sponsors.

    Reacting to the incident on Friday, President Buhari said that “this administration will not succumb to blackmail by bandits who target innocent school students in the expectations of huge ransom payments.”

    According to the President, “no criminal group can be too strong to be defeated by the government,” adding that, “the only thing standing between our security forces and the bandits are the rules of engagement.”

    “We have the capacity to deploy massive force against the bandits in the villages where they operate, but our limitation is the fear of heavy casualties of innocent villagers and hostages who might be used as human shields by the bandits,” he said, stressing that “our primary objective is to get the hostages safe, alive and unharmed.”

    President Buhari noted that “a hostage crisis is a complex situation that requires maximum patience in order to protect the victims from physical harm or even brutal death at the hands of their captors.”

    He warned the bandits: “Let them not entertain any illusions that they are more powerful than the government. They shouldn’t mistake our restraint for the humanitarian goals of protecting innocent lives as a weakness or a sign of fear or irresolution.”

    The President appealed to state governments “to review their policy of rewarding bandits with money and vehicles, warning that the policy might boomerang disastrously.”

    He also advised states and local governments to be more proactive by improving security around schools and their surroundings.

  • BREAKING: Kidnapped NSTA passengers released, Kagara students to follow suit

    BREAKING: Kidnapped NSTA passengers released, Kagara students to follow suit

    Reports just reaching TheNewsGuru.com indicates that passengers of the Niger State Transport Authority (NSTA) kidnapped on Wednesday have been released.

    A Niger based Islamic Cleric Mallam Shehu Mainasara disclosed the development to our correspondent on Sunday evening.

    Although there have not been official report from the Niger state government, the cleric said the kidnapped victims have so far called their families to confirm their release.

    “From the negotiation so far, the bandits agreed to release all their hostages, they just released the passengers of NSTA, I believe they will also release the students and staff of GSC Kagara,” he said.

  • Tension as police close Niger school over abduction notice

    Tension as police close Niger school over abduction notice

    The Niger Police Command has arrested 15 year-old Samaki Azozo, a student of Government Science School Izom, over alleged attempt to kidnap students of the school in Gurara Local Government Area.

    Mr Adamu Usman, the state Commissioner of Police, who disclosed this to newsmen in Minna, on Friday, said the suspect, an SS2 student of the school, wrote a letter and posted on the school notice board notifying staff and students about an intended kidnap in the school.

    He explained that the letter created tension among staff and students of the school.

    The commissioner said the suspect claimed that the letter was a ploy to close the school.

    Usman said armed security personnel had been deployed to the school to ensure the safety of staff and students.

    “We don’t want to be taken unawares; hence, the need for us to adopt a proactive security measure against any security threat.

    He added that the command had commenced investigations into the claim and appealed to the public to assist the command with useful information to combat banditry and kidnapping in the state.

  • LIST: See names of victims of Kagara school abduction

    LIST: See names of victims of Kagara school abduction

    The names of the victims of the abduction that happened at Government Science College, Kagara in Niger State have been released.

    Recall gunmen stormed the school located in Rafi Local Government Area of the State on Wednesday at 2 a.m. and took the victims away.

    While one student was killed in the sad incident, 27 students were kidnapped along with three staff of the college and 12 members of families at the school.

    See names of some of the victims of the Kagara school abduction below:

    Family members: Christiana Adama, Faith Adama, Maimuna Suleman, Nura Isah, Ahmad Isah, Khadizat Isah, Mohammed Mohammed, Aisha Isah, Saratu Isah

    Students: Jamilu Isah, Shem Joshua, Abbas Abdullahi, Isah Abdullahi, Ezekeil Danladi, Haliru Shuibu, Mamuda suleman, Danzakar Dauda, Abdulsamad Sanusi, Bashir Abbas, Suleman Lawal, bdullahi Adamu, Habakuk Augustine, Idris Mohammed, Musa Adamu, Abdulkarim Abdulrahman, Abubakar Danjumma, Abdullahi Abubakar, Bashir kamalideen, Mohammed Salisu, Yusuf M Kabir, Isah Abdullah Makusidi, Polineous Vicente, Lawal Bello, Mohammed Shehu, Mubarak Sidi and Abdulsamad Nuhu

    Teachers: Hannatu Philip, Lawal Abdullahi and Dodo Fodio

    Non-teaching staff: Mohammed Musa, Faiza Mohammed

    Dead student: Benjamin Habila

    TNG reports Chief Press Secretary to the Governor of Niger State, Mary Noel-Berje revealed these names in a statement.

    Earlier, the Niger State Government had said concrete security measures were in place to ensure safe return of the abducted students.

  • JUST IN: Again! Bandits attack more communities in Niger, residents feared killed

    JUST IN: Again! Bandits attack more communities in Niger, residents feared killed

    Some Communities in the Gurmana ward of Shiroro Local Government Area of Niger State have been attacked by gunmen again as the state is still battling with the kidnapping of some students at Kagara school students.

    Sarkin Zama, Bakin Kogi (Lagbe), Siyiko, and other adjoining villages were Wednesday evening invaded by gunmen, who stormed the villages in their large numbers.

    The operation which lasted for hours was said to have recorded some casualty, though TheNewsGuru (TNG) is yet to verify the claim as at the time this report was filed.

    Concerned Shiroro Youths, Sani Kokki, told newsmen some died while others who sustained various degrees of gunshot injuries were rushed to various health facilities for medical attention.

    Kokki said scores of others were also abducted and taken to unknown destinations.

    “Countless deadly attacks have become daily occurrences, thereby compelling the affected victims to live at the mercy of hydra-headed monsters.

    Defenceless, unarmed, and peaceful locals have been abandoned to their fate,” Kokki added.

  • Niger Governor confident abducted Kagara students will return safe

    Niger Governor confident abducted Kagara students will return safe

    The Niger State Government says it has taken concrete security measures to ensure safety in the state and safe return of the abducted 27 students of the Government Science College, Kagara.

    The students, three staff and 12 families of the college in Rafi Local Government Area of the state were abducted in the early hours of Wednesday.

    In a news conference in Minna on Wednesday, Gov. Abubakar Sani-Bello said his administration had taken concrete security measures to ensure safe return of the students.

    Gunmen stormed the school on Wednesday at 2 a.m. killing one student and kidnapped 27, three staff of the college and 12 members of families at the school.

    The Governor directed that all boarding schools in Shiroro, Rafi and Muyan be closed down with immediate effect until the situation improved.

    “I call on all Nigerlites to condemn all forms of criminality in the state,” he said.

    He called on the Federal Government to deploy all resources to secure the state, while the State Government was doing everything possible to ensure safe return of the students and staff.

    Bello also said that the State Government would not pay ransom to the suspected bandits in order to secure the release of their victims, but that it was ready to support any bandit who was ready to surrender their arms.

    “When you negotiate and pay ransom to criminals, they will use the money to purchase more weapons,” he said.

    Government Science College, Kagara, has a total of 650 students out of whom the 27 were abducted and one, Benjamin Doma, was killed by the hoodlums.

    Recall that 40 passengers travelling from Kontagora to Minna were abducted by suspected gunmen on Feb. 14.

    However, 8 out of the 40 passengers abducted, had regained freedom, while the remaining are still in the hands of their abductors whom are demanding for ransom.

  • BREAKING: Niger Govt reveals number of students abducted in Kagara school

    BREAKING: Niger Govt reveals number of students abducted in Kagara school

    Gov. Abubakar Sani-Bello of Niger on Wednesday confirmed the abduction of 27 students, three staff and 12 family members by gunmen at the Government Science College, Kagara, in Rafi Local Government Area of the state.

    Bello made the confirmation at a news conference shortly after an emergency meeting with heads of security agencies in Minna on Wednesday.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports some gunmen stormed the school on Wednesday at 2 a.m. killing one student and kidnapping 27, three staff of the college and 12 members of families at the school.

    The Governor has directed that all boarding schools in Shiroro, Rafi and Muyan be closed down with immediate effect until the situation improved.

    “I call on all Nigerlites to condemn all forms of criminality in the state,” he said.

    He called on the Federal Government to deploy all resources to secure the state, while the State Government was doing everything possible to ensure safe return of the students and staff.

    Bello also said that the State Government would not pay ransom to the suspected bandits in order to secure the release of their victims, but that it was ready to support any bandit who was ready to surrender their arms.

    “When you negotiate and pay ransom to criminals, they will use the money to purchase more weapons,” he said.

    Government Science College, Kagara, has a total of 650 students out of whom the 27 were abducted and one, Benjamin Doma, was killed by the hoodlums.

    Recall that 40 passengers travelling from Kontagora to Minna were abducted by suspected gunmen on Feb. 14.

    However, 8 out of the 40 passengers abducted had regained freedom, while the remaining are still in the hands of their abductors who are demanding ransom.

  • Buhari dispatches security officials for rescue operation in Niger State

    Buhari dispatches security officials for rescue operation in Niger State

    President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the abduction of some staff and students of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State and directed the Armed Forces and Police to ensure immediate and safe return of all the captives

    A statement by the President’s spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Wednesday, said the president had also dispatched to Minna, Niger, a team of security chiefs to coordinate the rescue operation.

    According to Shehu, the team is also expected to meet with state officials, community leaders, as well as parents and staff of the College.

    The presidential aide quoted the president as assuring the support of his administration to the Armed Forces in their brave struggle against terrorism and banditry.

    Buhari urged them ”to do all that can be done to bring an end to this saga, and avoid such cowardly attacks on schools in the future.

    “Our prayers are with families of the victims of this attack,” said the president as he condemned as cowardly the attack on innocent school children.

    Armed men at about 3 a.m, invaded Government Science Secondary School in Kagara, headquarters of Rafi Local Government Area of Niger, abducting an unknown number of staff members and students

    “At about 3 a.m. last night, bandits attacked Government Science College in Kagara, killing one and abducting an unknown number of students.

    “Some staff members, their spouses, children were also abducted by the bandits,” a source told newsmen on Wednesday in Kagara.

  • UPDATED: Bandits invade GSC Kagara, kidnap students, staffers in night raid

    UPDATED: Bandits invade GSC Kagara, kidnap students, staffers in night raid

    A large number of students, whose exact figure, is yet unknown, have been abducted by suspected terrorists at Government Science College (GSC) Kagara, in Niger State.

    The bandits in military uniforms, stormed the school premises on Tuesday night, overpowered the security guard, before whisking away the students.

    In a tweet, Senator Shehu Sani confirmed the incident and noted that he has spoken to the principal of the school.

    According to reports reaching TheNewGuru (TNG) some of the students escaped after the raid.

    A headcount is being conducted at the school in the wee hours of Wednesday to ascertain the actual number of missing students.

    Hhowever, security agencies were able to detect the coordinate and nature of the area, and have started tracing the bandits’ movement while NAF aircraft have been seen hovering in the air to track the location of the students.