The Niger State Government says it has taken concrete security measures to ensure safety in the state and safe return of the abducted 27 students of the Government Science College, Kagara.
The students, three staff and 12 families of the college in Rafi Local Government Area of the state were abducted in the early hours of Wednesday.
In a news conference in Minna on Wednesday, Gov. Abubakar Sani-Bello said his administration had taken concrete security measures to ensure safe return of the students.
Gunmen stormed the school on Wednesday at 2 a.m. killing one student and kidnapped 27, three staff of the college and 12 members of families at the school.
The Governor directed that all boarding schools in Shiroro, Rafi and Muyan be closed down with immediate effect until the situation improved.
“I call on all Nigerlites to condemn all forms of criminality in the state,” he said.
He called on the Federal Government to deploy all resources to secure the state, while the State Government was doing everything possible to ensure safe return of the students and staff.
Bello also said that the State Government would not pay ransom to the suspected bandits in order to secure the release of their victims, but that it was ready to support any bandit who was ready to surrender their arms.
“When you negotiate and pay ransom to criminals, they will use the money to purchase more weapons,” he said.
Government Science College, Kagara, has a total of 650 students out of whom the 27 were abducted and one, Benjamin Doma, was killed by the hoodlums.
Recall that 40 passengers travelling from Kontagora to Minna were abducted by suspected gunmen on Feb. 14.
However, 8 out of the 40 passengers abducted, had regained freedom, while the remaining are still in the hands of their abductors whom are demanding for ransom.