27 students, 15 others abducted at Kagara school – Gov Bello

• Orders closure of boarding schools

Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani-Bello, has confirmed the abduction 27 students, three workers and 12 family members at the Government Science College Karaga of Rafi local government areas of the state.

He stated this during a press conference after an emergency meeting with heads of security agencies in Minna on Wednesday.

Bello directed that all boarding schools in Shiroro, Rafi and Muyan be indefinitely closed down with immediate effect.

Gunmen had attacked the school at 2am Wednesday, killing one student and kidnapping 42 other persons.

About 40 bus passengers travelling from Kontagora to Minna were abducted by bandits on February 14.

Bello also called on the Federal Government to deploy all resources to secure the state just as he stated that the state government was doing everything possible to ensure safe return of the abducted students and others.

The governor also disclosed that out of the 40 bus passengers earlier abducted, eight had regained their freedom while the remaining persons were still in the hands of their abductors who were already demanding ransom.

The governor said that the state government would not pay ransom to the suspected bandits in order to secure the release of their victims, but was ready to support any bandit willing to surround arms.

“When you negotiate and pay ransom to criminals, they will use the money to purchase more weapons,” he said.