Dapchi Attack: Whereabouts of 111 Students Unknown – Yobe Police

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No less than 111 girls are still unaccounted for, the Yobe State Police has revealed.

The development comes after Monday’s attack by Boko Haram insurgents on Government Girls Secondary School, Dapchi, area of the state.

The Commissioner of Police in the State, Abdulmaliki Sumonu, revealed the information on Wednesday to journalists in Damaturu.

Sumonu said: “815, out of the 926 students, were physically seen in the school, as at Tuesday.

“There are reports that more girls have returned to the school after the head count.

He however insists that none of the students was kidnapped.

The CP said: “I asked the school’s principal if there were abductions or deaths in the school and she said ‘no.’ I am not unaware of the rumours going on; l want to appeal to the press and the society to please, cooperate with the security agencies in this situation.”

Naija News recalls that Boko Haram ambushed the school on Monday evening after which 94 girls reportedly went missing.

Following the attack, about 50 worried parents and guardians who hurried to the school premisise demanding information on the incident.

A guardian, Abubakar Shehu, whose niece is among the missing said: “Our girls have been missing for two days and we don’t know their whereabouts. Although we were told they had run to some villages, we have been to all these villages mentioned without any luck. We are beginning to harbour fears the worst might have happened. We have the fear that we are dealing with another Chibok scenario.”

A source in the school said the number of missing students was established Tuesday afternoon, after a head count.

On whether the students were abducted, he said: “We cannot say because the insurgents went into the students’ hostel and many of these students scaled the fence and escaped into the bushes. No one can tell if they are abducted or not.”

But, the police insisted in a statement that no student was abducted from the school by Boko Haram.

Yesterday morning, the number of missing students dropped from 94 to 46.

Commissioner of Education, Mohammed Lamin, said 28 students returned on Tuesday night and 20 more were received from Magwaram village yesterday morning.

“This has brought down the 94 missing students realised at yesterday’s headcount to 48 this morning (yesterday). We are still hopeful that more are returning soon,” he said.