At least 600 out of 800 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State are missing, following attack by armed bandits on Friday night.

It was gathered that for years, Kankara town has been a target of kidnapping and banditry.

A schoolteacher who spoke to our reporter on the condition of anonymity said the bandits launched the attack shortly after prep at 9:30pm.

He said the bandits started shooting sporadically in the air, causing commotion and stampede before scaling over the fence and breaking the gate.

According to him, the school has over 800 students, with the exception of JS3 and SS3 students who are now out of school.

He said so far 600 students are yet to return to the school several hours after the attack. “We are still hoping that some of them might return. We believe some of them fled the attack and ran into the bush,” he said.

The teacher said the bandits, after gathering the students in one place, shepherded them towards Pauwa village, where they kept dozens of motorcycles.

In an interview with the BBC, the spokesman for the Katsina State Police Command, DSP Gambo Isa, confirmed the attack, saying a policeman sustained gun injury when their men engaged the bandits.

He said the police have beefed up security around the area to forestall future recurrence and restore normalcy.