The Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, has described what happened in Niger State as a source of concern.
He was among the federal government delegation to Niger State to review the Wednesday abduction of schoolboys and their teachers at the Government Science College Kagara.
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The armed men raided the school in the early hours of Wednesday and left with some students, staff and their families.
One of the students, Benjamin Doma, was gunned down while trying to escape. The abductors reportedly left him behind in the pool of his blood as they shepherded the abducted students and teachers to the bush.
The Kagara abduction was carried out less than three months after the kidnapping of over 300 students at Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in nearby Katsina State.
The students were released few days after amidst allegations that a huge ransom was paid, a claim denied by the federal and Katsina State governments.
The IGP said different strategies were being put in place to address the situation.
“We have restrategised. We are working to ensure that the students are returned unharmed. We are using the same strategy as we used in the past case but it won’t stop us from apprehending those who committed the act. We have deployed our units of mobile policemen to reinforce security in the state. The group that perpetrated the incident, we know the group and we will get the people back unharmed,” he said.
Earlier, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammed, who led the delegation to Minna, disclosed that they were sent by President Buhari to assure the people and government of Niger State and Nigeria that the administration will ensure the safety of lives and property in the country.
“We are glad that the government is exploring kinetic and non-kinetic options to ensure the safe release of the victims. We will deploy all resources to ensure the safe release of the victims. We want to assure Nigerians that we will not surrender our sovereignty but will employ all means to ensure the safe release of all the victims across Nigeria,” Lai Mohammed said.
Other members of the delegation included the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola; National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Monguno; and Minister of Police Affairs, Mohammed Maigari Dingyadi.