By Nchetachi Chukwuajah
Mohammed Tajudeen, the principal and proprietor of Daarulkitab Islamic Training Centre, Kogi State, from where 26 persons, including students and wives of the proprietor, were kidnapped, has countered the police’s rescue statement.
While speaking to journalists on Monday, April 27, following a police report that 17 of the abducted victims have been rescued, Tajudeen clarified that the police did not rescue his students as reported, but that they escaped on their own.
Recall that bandits reportedly abducted 26 students of the school and orphanage on Sunday, April 26, while the Kogi State Police Command claimed to have rescued 17 of the victims.
The command said upon receipt of the report of the abduction, the Divisional Police Officer in charge of ‘B’ Division, Lokoja, mobilised a joint team of security operatives and proceeded to the scene for an on-the-spot assessment.
“The operatives immediately mapped out strategies and commenced coordinated rescue operations. Through these efforts, 17 of the abducted pupils/students have been successfully rescued,” the command said in a statement on Monday, April 27.
However, the school Principal, Tajudeen, countered the police’s statement, saying, “Those who are available now ran away when the kidnappers came; they were not rescued, but they escaped. They hid inside the bush.”
On the statement by the Commissioner for Information that Daarulkitab Group of Schools was not registered, Tajudeen said, “The school is registered with CAC and the Ministry of Women Affairs. I have the documents to back our registration. The Darul Kitab was registered separately.”
The police said the incident occurred on Sunday, April 26, around 11:45 p.m. at Daarul Kitab School, an Islamic institution with an attached orphanage home, located at Zariagi along NNPC Road, Kabba Junction, Lokoja.
The attackers reportedly stormed the school and orphanage, shooting sporadically to scare residents and security operatives.
Meanwhile, the police stated that more rescue operations are ongoing by joint security operatives comprising the police, military, and other security agencies, with concerted efforts being intensified to secure the release of the remaining nine victims, consisting of seven pupils and the two wives of the proprietor.
“The Commissioner of Police, Kogi State, has visited the scene of the incident and ordered massive deployment of tactical teams to strengthen ongoing bush combing, intelligence gathering, and surveillance operations aimed at rescuing the remaining victims and apprehending the perpetrators,” the statement added
