Less than 24 hours after bandits abducted over 200 school children in Niger State, Governor Abubakar Bello has travelled out of the country.
Governor Bello left the shores of Nigeria early Monday morning despite bandits’ abduction of the schoolchildren from Salihu Tanko Islamic School in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State.
The bandits, who invaded the school on Sunday evening, were said to have arrived in their numbers on motorcycles and shot sporadically into the air.
The incident is the second in the state this year and among the series of abductions of schoolchildren by bandits in the northern part of the country.
Bandits had abducted dozens of children from Government Science College Kagara and released them a few weeks after.
Bello’s Chief Press Secretary, Mary Noel-Berje, in a statement on Monday, said the governor assured the state of the rescue and safe return of the students.
Noel-Berje, however, added that Governor Bello is expected back in the country “within the shortest period.”
The statement read, “Governor Sani Bello also assured all Nigerlites that Government will continue to do all it can to protect the lives and property of its citizens while guaranteeing the continued peace and stability of the state.
“While assuring the parents of the abducted children of their safe return as the security agencies have been directed to do all it can to bring back the children as soon as possible, the Governor also urged the citizens to cooperate and share intelligence and information that will help in the quick rescue of the children.”