A member of the House of Representatives, Tanko Sununu, has described the attack on the Federal Government College, Birnin-Yauri in Kebbi State, as a promise fulfilled by bandits.

The lawmaker who represents Ngaski/ Shanga/ Yauri Federal Constituency noted that Thursday’s incident was the latest in the chains of attacks on communities in the area.

While featuring as a guest on Sunrise Daily on Friday, he narrated what transpired in the build-up to the attack that left a yet-to-be-ascertained number of students of the school missing.

“What really happened is that about two weeks ago, we had an episode when bandits residing within parts of the areas bordering Zamfara, Niger, and Kebbi came up through one of the villages in my constituency.

“They killed a policeman and found their way until they reached Ibeto area where we have a quarry, killed some security men and kidnapped some of the foreign workers in the quarry and left,” the lawmaker said during the Channels Television breakfast show.

He added, “10 days later, they came back to the same area and entered into my constituency bordering some villages, and they had more than a seven-hour field operation going from house to house, room to room, collecting money, phones, cows, and any machine they deemed useful for their operations, and they left a message behind that they would soon be back.

“To fulfill their promise yesterday, we had intelligence that they were on their way coming. Around 10:30 in the morning, they reached their final destination – the Federal Government College, Birnin-Yauri.”

A Major Success

Sununu noted that as soon as the bandits got to the school, they were faced with a tough task as they were initially resisted and engaged in a gunfight by operatives of the Mobile Police and Police Counter-Terrorism Unit stationed at the school.

He disclosed that the fire exchange lasted for a long period before the bandits overpowered the security operatives due to their large number.

The bandits, the lawmaker stated, succeeded in killing a policeman and gained access into the school and abducted an unspecified number of students and five teachers.

He explained that it was difficult to ascertain the exact number of students abducted as parents from nearby villages and towns raced to the school to take their children away immediately after the incident.

Sununu, however, gave an assurance that the military has swung into action, noting that progress has been made.

He said, “As at last night, I had a discussion with the Field Commander of Operation Hadarin Daji who said that they have succeeded in entering into the den of the kidnappers and I think this is a major success because the security agencies are now taking the fight to the base of the kidnappers.

“I was also told that over 800 cattle that were rustled some days back have been recovered and as of now, the military has combed the area where we are expecting that the students are with the bandits. They have also succeeded in creating many casualties on the part of the bandits.” (Channels TV)

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