The Lagos State Police
Command has said they are on the trail of the armed men who allegedly abducted
about three school girls in Ikorodu on Monday night.
Media
report continues:
The
students were taken from their hostel at the Babington Macaulay Junior
Seminary, Agunfoye Lugbusi, at about 8 p.m., reports say.
“We
are working on their rescue,” Dolapo Badmus, police spokesperson, told
reporters on Tuesday.
“There’s nothing new yet,
but we are closing up on them and we are seriously working on the recovery and
we are still investigating how the occurrence came to pass.”
Lagos Governor Silent As 15 Gunmen
Abduct Three Lagos Schoolgirls
Media
reports that parents of pupils of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, a
private school in the Ikorodu area of Lagos, have blamed the abduction of three
schoolgirls of the college on security lapses in the school.
BMJSS
is a co-educational secondary school owned by the Lagos Anglican Diocese.
The
parents lamented that the low perimeter fence of the school and inadequate
presence of security personnel at the hostel end, where the pupils were
abducted, posed little or no barrier to the hoodlums.
Despite
that the schoolgirls were kidnapped on Monday night and the information had
been widely circulated, neither the Lagos State governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode,
nor his representatives had visited the school as of 8pm on Tuesday.
The
state government had also yet to make a statement on the abduction.
It
was learnt that the pupils were studying in the Science and Technology Block
for their examinations near the hostel around 8pm on Monday when the gunmen,
said to be about 15 in number, stormed the premises, shooting sporadically.
The
bandits, one of whom was said to be masked, were reported to have been resisted
by some male students.
The
students, however, had to beat a retreat when the hoodlums inflicted machete
cuts on one of the male students.
The
arrival of the school’s security men, who joined the students, forced the
invaders to flee.
The
bandits reportedly escaped with the three girls, said to be in senior classes,
through the fence after failed attempts by the school security guards and some
of the pupils to resist the abduction.
Our
correspondents, who went round the school on Tuesday, observed that the fence
borders a site, which houses several uncompleted buildings, with bush paths
criss-crossing most of the areas.
Some
panic-stricken parents hurriedly took their children away from the school on
Tuesday.
No
fewer than five parents picked their children from the school before our
correspondents left the school.
They
refused to speak with any of our correspondents when approached for their
reactions.
Many
of the parents blamed the school authorities for not providing adequate
security within the boarding area.
An
angry parent, who refused to give her name, said she would not allow her
daughter to sleep in the school’s hostel on Tuesday.
Another
parent said the authorities concentrated security arrangements at the entrance
to the school while there was none within the hostel area.
She
said, “I am not going to accept any excuses from the school authorities on this
abduction. We should do the right thing. They are supposed to have ensured
adequate security in the hostel area of the school. The fence is too low and
anybody can enter the school freely.”
A
woman, who said her child was in JSS2, claimed there was a similar incident in
the school a few months ago, but said there were no victims.
“There
had been attempts to attack the school before now. The principal called all the
pupils and warned them to be vigilant and report suspicious movements,” she
said.
Some
of the parents in broken voices and teary eyes also gathered to pray for the
safe release of the abducted pupils.
“This
is sabotage. Everything is under control and we believe that those children
would return very soon. We have seen our children and we pray that those abducted
would be rescued safely,” a parent, Mrs. Biola Ategbole, said.
The
school authorities declined to speak with journalists on the incident and
turned down enquiries on the identities of the victims, though one of our
correspondents heard an official of the school describing the abducted girls as
pastors’ children.
They
also warned parents of the abducted children not to speak to the press.
The
distraught principal of the school, Ven Olaoluwa Adeyemi, was seen in company
with some officials moving towards the entrance to the school.
The
school authorities, in a text message to the parents, stated, “Dearly beloved
parents, the unfortunate incident reported is under control and the three
parents have been contacted.
“Please
continue to pray with us and we assure you that all will be well. Kindly keep
calm, your children are safe.’’
The
Bishop of Badagry Diocese, one of the owners of the school, Babatunde Adeyemi,
said he did not want to speak on the abduction until the children were rescued
safely.
“I
have no story to tell you. We don’t discuss such issue on the pages of
newspapers. When God has settled the case, we will keep you informed,” he said
in an interview on the telephone with one of our correspondents on Tuesday.
When
reporters called the principal for an update at about 9.20pm on Tuesday, he
said he was in a crucial meeting.
Describing
the attack, a security guard, who did not give his name, said the guards could
not withstand the weapons of the bandits.
He
added, “When I heard the first gunshot, I thought it was a banger. Before I
knew what was happening, they had entered the classroom.
‘‘We
tried our best but they were fully armed. If they were not carrying guns, they
would not have escaped because some pupils tried to obstruct them, not minding
the guns. The gunmen were about 15.”
A
commercial motorcyclist, who identified himself only as Akpan, said Adamo Road,
which links the school, was blocked around 6pm on Monday, adding that the area
was deserted.
Akpan
stated, “The road leading to the school was blocked and deserted yesterday
(Monday) around 6pm which was unusual. The operation was well planned. I learnt
there was a similar attack on the school about a month ago but it failed.
Something has to be done to the security of the school.”
No
fewer than 10 armed policemen were on the school premises as of 3pm when our
correspondents left the school.
The
Assistant Inspector-General of Police, Zone 2, Onikan, Lagos, Bala Hassan, and
Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Fatai Owoseni, visited the school and
assured the management that efforts were ongoing to rescue the pupils alive.
After
a closed-door meeting with the parents and the school management, the AIG said
the police had got useful information on the location of the abductors, adding
that the police were working with other security agencies to secure the pupils’
release.
Hassan
added, “They (pupils) are preparing for exams and went to the classroom to read
and revise. It was in the process that the hoodlums came, armed with Ak47, and
started shooting sporadically and took three of them.
‘‘The
security forces jointly are doing everything possible to ensure that the three
children abducted are rescued in good health. We have also given assurance of
adequate security on the premises so that learning will continue.
‘‘I
have got some lead information from the commissioner of police and everything
is on course. The deployment has not changed and Ogun State Command has been
contacted to make sure that that place is fully secured.’’
“For
now, we want to keep the identities of the children to our chest and see what
we can do today or tomorrow. I want to assure you that the security forces are
on top of the situation.”
The
CP and some naval officers in a helicopter conducted an aerial surveillance of
the school vicinity for about 30 minutes.
Asked
what was the outcome of the surveillance, Owoseni said, “Investigation is still
ongoing. I cannot say more than that for now.”
Meanwhile,
many Nigerians and groups have condemned the abduction of the three female
pupils, describing the action as outrageous.
The
kidnap, they said, portended a dangerous trend as well as the state of
insecurity in the country.
The
President, Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr. Michael Alogba, while condemning the
abduction, described it as barbaric.
According
to him, the action is enough to warrant increased security awareness and
conferences in the nation’s schools immediately.
Alogba
stated in a text message to one of our correspondents, “The action is barbaric
and condemnable. People should increase their security awareness. Parents and
schools should also commence conferences and seminars on security immediately.”
The
Lagos NUT Chairman, Mr. Segun Raheem, who likened the action to the kidnap of
the over 200 Chibok girls in April, 2014, said such act should not be allowed
to continue in the nation’s schools.
Raheem,
while urging the government to check the action as well as frequent harassment,
assault and attacks on teachers and pupils, noted that the crime would create a
culture of fear in schools.
Also,
the immediate past Secretary of the All Nigerian Conference of Principals of
Secondary Schools, Mr. Kelvin Nwankwo, who described the incident as
unfortunate, urged the police and other security agencies to be awake to their
responsibilities.
He
urged Nigerians to pray for the pupils and their parents.
A
Psychology lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Dr. Adeboye
Ayinde, noted that the affected pupils and their parents would not easily
forget the trauma.
Ayinde, who called for
increased surveillance in schools, advised parents not to take their children
to environment that was notorious for nefarious activities.
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