Bandits have kidnapped over 40 people who are students and teachers of Government Science College, Kagara in Niger state.
The abduction which has been confirmed by the state government occurred on Wednesday.
Reports reveal that students were woken by the attackers and subsequently taken into a nearby forest while one student was killed.
President Muhammadu Buhari has condemned the kidnapping and ordered a rescue operation.
“The President has directed the Armed Forces and Police, to ensure immediate and safe return of all the captives,” his spokesman Garba Shehu said in a statement.
Reacting to the abduction, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) said the abduction of the students and staff of Government Science College in Kagara, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, suggests that the Nigerian government has failed in providing a safe learning space for the people.
It further said it will hold the government to account if the students and others abducted are not urgently rescued.
“The abductors must be arrested and brought to justice. Victims must be granted access to justice. The incident, which started at about 2:00am on Wednesday, suggests that Nigerian authorities are failing to live up to their commitments to provide safe a learning environment,” SERAP stated.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on its part has described the bandits as the “mercenaries” of the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress and asked President Muhammadu Buhari to settle them.
PDP said the stance of the APC administration towards the fight against banditry further validates reports that the bandits are enjoying cover under the ruling party.
The opposition said it explains why the APC never raised a strong voice against what has become a national calamity.
In statement released, on Wednesday, by the party Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, PDP accused the APC leaders of patronizing the bandits and making excuses for them.
“The public space is awash with reports that many of these bandits terrorizing Nigerians were political mercenaries brought in by the APC from neighboring countries to help it enforce the rigging of the 2019 elections, but which the APC and its leaders failed to settle after the elections, leaving them to unleash their frustrations on innocent Nigerians.
“Our party charges the APC to speak out on these reports and take immediate steps to settle their political mercenaries, return them to wherever they brought them from and bring an end to these gruesome attacks on Nigerians.”
While commiserating with the victims of the Niger attacks, the PDP urged the security forces to go after the bandits and rescue the Kagara school children before any harm comes upon them.
Meanwhile, the Niger State Governor Abubakar Sani-Bello has directed the immediate closure of boarding schools in four local government areas in the state.
The local governments ordered to be shut are Rafi, Mariga, Munya and Shiroro.
