Some armed men, on Saturday night, intercepted Islamic school children returning from a Maulud Nabiyyi (Prophet Mohammad’s birthday) celebration in Unguwar Al-Kasim and kidnapped an undisclosed number of them in Mahuta B Ward.
The ward is located in the Dandume Local Government Area of Katsina State, northwest Nigeria. Sources from the community told HumAngle that the number of abducted children has not been ascertained during the incident that started at about 11:30 pm in Baure village.
The invaders also made away with some animals, sources said. No group has claimed responsibility for this attack.
It was learnt that the terror gang waylaid the students on foot, unlike previous attacks which they carried out using motorbikes.
Hamisu Ya’u, a resident of Mahuta disclosed to HumAngle that “nobody will tell you the exact number of the abducted children because it happened at night and the place where the abduction took place was very dark”.
“But the vigilante group intercepted the group and rescued some of the children,” Ya’u added.
“As of now, we don’t have the exact figures of the rescued ones and the missing ones.”
Confirming the incident, one of the Islamic teachers who was with the Islamic schoolchildren when the attack happened and asked not to be named, told HumAngle that “they attacked us on our way back to Mahuta”.
“Security agencies and vigilante groups followed them and rescued all the children and rustled cattle. The cattle and other animals are in the palace of the district head now,” he said.
Ya’u, however, insisted that “the group has some of the children with them now.”
He disclosed that the group invaded some villages and abducted some people before attacking the children at Baure village.
HumAngle learnt that there was an exchange of fire between the security agencies and the group. One vigilante member sustained serious gun wounds and is currently in the hospital receiving treatment.
As of the time of compiling this report, it was not clear how many students were either hiding in the bush or in the custody of the gunmen.
This incident happened about eight days after armed groups abducted over 300 students of Government Science Secondary School Kankara, Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State.
The students after spending six days in captivity were released on Thursday after negotiations between representatives of the government and their abductors.
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