[BREAKING] Gunmen abduct JSS students, kill one, set church ablaze

In a reminiscent of the attack in Chibok, Borno State and Dapchi in Yobe State where school children were abducted, armed gunmen earlier today August 24 abducted some students of Prince Academy Damba-Kasaya in Kunai Ward of Chikun Local government area of Kaduna State, North West Nigeria.

The Gunmen, riding on motorcycles arrived the community at about 7:45am and operated for about 45 minutes shooting sporadically into the air while abducting yet to be identified number of students who had gathered to write the Junior School Certificate Examination (JSCE) alongside some villagers, an eyewitness told the Daily Vendor news.

A villager, Mr Bawa Wakili who confirmed the sad incident said he was riding on a motorcycle when he sighted the gunmen from afar approaching the community and quickly raised alarm, he said the gunmen went straight to the school and took away some students before abducting some villagers.

Mr Wakili said Aminchi Baptist Church Damba-Kasaya was set ablaze by the gunmen I’m what is a command do like operation.

As at the time of filing this report, one person was confirmed dead while others sustained gunshots injuries.

The Gunmen also went away with some motorcycles belonging to the villagers.

“When the attack started, the military came in and were even trailing the attackers but withdrew along the way for reasons best known to them, leaving us to our fate”. A youth leader who prefers to be anonymous revealed.

The Federal government had only recently reopened schools across the country to enable graduating students in secondary schools seat for their final exams. This prompted the reopening of schools in Kaduna state.

Chikun Local government has come under series of attacks lately with several people either kidnapped for ransom or killed and many communities have been displaced.

Kaduna state has been on the news since 2015 as the headquarter of kidnappings and banditry where no fewer than 366 villagers have been killed between January and July 2020 alone, according to Amnesty International.