Osama Aminu Maale , an 18 – year- old student of Government Science School , Kankara , in Katsina State , has narrated how he escaped from bandits who kidnapped hundreds of his colleagues last Friday.
According to Maale , 520 students were abducted when the armed bandits stormed the school on Friday night .
“ There were a total of 520 of us that were taken by the gunmen from the school , ” he told AFP on the phone.
“ After they took us away we stopped inside the bus where they made the older students take a headcount. We counted 520 , ” he said .
The hostages were split into groups before Maale and four others escaped .
“ One of the gunmen hit me repeatedly when I failed to keep up with the rest of the group due to my failing health before he let me trail behind , giving me the chance to escape , ” Maale added .
The Federal Government has said efforts were on to rescue students abducted by armed men who raided their hostels .
UN children ’ s agency UNICEF condemned the assault on the school in Katsina , the home state of the President , Major General Muhammadu Buhari ( retd . ).
State governor, Aminu Masari , who visited the school on Saturday, said soldiers were working to locate and free the hostages .
“ Soldiers are currently in the bushes fighting the bandits . We will do all we can to ensure all the abducted children are reclaimed , ” he said .
Masari said it was still not clear how many students were “in the hands of the bandits ” and how many had managed to escape .
“ The school has a population of 839 and so far , we are yet to account for 333 students , ” Masari told a federal government delegation in his office on Sunday .
“ We are still counting because more are still coming out of the forest, ” said the governor.
“ Up till this moment , no one can give a precise figure of the children abducted, ” he stated , adding that students who escaped confirmed some of their peers were taken.
Since the attack , all secondary schools in the state have been shut . Residents of Kankara also protested the abduction of the students on Sunday , asking the authorities to ensure their speedy release .