TheCable

The Niger state police command says it is on the trail of the gunmen who abducted five female students from Tular Academy, a private boarding school in Moruba, Mariga local government area of the state.

A teacher and two security guards said to be on duty were also kidnapped.

Adamu Usman, the state police commissioner who led a combined team of police and military operatives to the school, said the attack took place on March 1 but that the force got the information late on Tuesday.

Usman said the gunmen took advantage of the poor network service in the area to attack the school.

He blamed the poor location of the school as a factor that enabled the attack.

He said a special technical squad and the anti-kidnapping squad had been deployed to comb the area and rescue the victims unhurt, adding that the command has deployed additional security measures against further attacks.

“We have since deployed Special Technical Squad and Armed Anti-Kidnapping Squad to identify areas with a view to rescuing the victims unhurt,” he said.

“No amount of pressure and intimidation will deter the command from discharging its constitutional mandate of safeguarding lives and property of people.”

He asked residents to volunteer useful information to the police for prompt response and to help their investigation.