Nasarawa: Bandits Kidnap School Children Hours To 2023 Election

Armed bandits have reportedly kidnapped school pupils in Nasarawa State a few hours before the 2023 general elections.

The Nasarawa State Police Command confirmed the development in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday evening, saying the assailants abducted the pupil of LGEA Primary School, Alwaza, Alwaza community, Doma local government area of the state on Friday morning.

The Command’s Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Rahman Nansel, disclosed that a joint team of police, military and vigilante men had been drafted and were on the trail of the abductors, reported to be on motorcycles.

According to Nansel, the kidnappers went away with an unspecified number of primary school pupils. The police mouthpiece noted that the attack happened while the children were reporting to school.

He said the whereabouts of the pupils and their abductors are still unknown as of reporting time, but also confirmed that security personnel have been dispatched to ensure the pupils are safely rescued from their abductors’ hands.

Suspected Hoodlums Invade Gombe INEC Ad Hoc Staff Camp

Meanwhile, some hoodlums have attacked ad hoc staff of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Gombe state.

Naija News learnt that the ad hoc staff were camped at Tudunwada Primary School in the Gombe metropolis.

According to Punch, the attackers took away no fewer than three phones, backpacks and power banks.

However, three persons have been rushed to the hospital having sustained machete cuts, while others are nursing varying injuries.

An eyewitness who confirmed the attack anonymously said the hoodlums made away with the phones of some of his colleagues trained to conduct the presidential and national assembly elections.

He disclosed that many of them were injured following the attack while trying to flee for safety.

He added, “The police and the school guard were nowhere to be found. They went with phones belonging to my colleagues. I sustained injuries while trying to escape.”

The eyewitness who condemned the slow response of security operatives said, “An attack that took place at about 11 pm, not until they (hoodlums) left that police came to ensure order.”

The incident was confirmed by the spokesperson of the state police command, Mahid Abubakar.

Abubakar said, “I was just called now and I’m going there now. Maybe afterwards the big men (Authorities), will state what happened.”