*Based on available record, we are still searching for 333 students through either the forest or their parents to ascertain the actual number that has been kidnapped ─Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State

Alexander Davis | ConsumerConnect

Rt. Hon. Aminu Bello Masari, Governor of Katsina State of Nigeria, has established that 333 students are still missing, following a recent attack on the Government Science Secondary School (GSSS) in Kankara area of the state night on Friday, December 11, 2020.

It was learnt Masari reel off the figure when he received a Federal Government delegation to Katsina State Sunday, December 13.

The governor disclosed that the affected school in the latest attack has a population of 839 students.

So far, those kidnapped cut across the state with the boarding school housing all children from all parts of the state and outside the state, said Masari.

He stated: “Based on the available record we have, we are still searching for 333 students through either the forest or their parents to ascertain the actual number that has been kidnapped.

“We are still counting because more are coming out from the forest, and we are calling through the numbers those parents that have phone numbers to find out whether or not their children have gone back home.

The governor also disclosed “we as a government are yet to be contacted by any group or person responsible for the kidnap of the students.”

General Bashir Magashi (Rtd), Honourable Minister for Defence and leader of the Federal Government delegation to the state, asked the country’s armed forces, the police, and other security agencies to move faster to ensure that the speedy rescue of the students.

The Minister as well warned that gangsters must not be allowed to rest for a moment.

It is high time we declared the bandits as terrorists to encourage people to sit up, said Magashi.

He stated: “Today, we are here also to sympathise with you over the recent abduction of secondary school students which is a more or less ruthless exercise conducted to temper with the education of the students.

“With the brief we received from the sister security agencies in the state, this task will be very simple to accomplish.

“Within the next few hours, we will ensure that these people are back without any collateral damage to the people of Katsina State.”

The Minister for Defence also assured Nigerians that “all hands are on deck to ensure we accomplish our tasks within the armed forces and the police.

“I was here around August on the same kind of mission to sympathise with the government regarding the farmers/herders clashes.”