Some of the abducted students of Girls Government Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State yesterday narrated how they escaped from the terrorists. The terrorists, numbering more than 100 stormed the school wearing army uniforms and deceived the schoolgirls into thinking they were soldiers who
had come to evacuated them from an impending attack, unknown to them that they were being abducted.
The students, who had returned to sit for the on-going West African School Certificate (WASC) exams at their school despite a Borno state-wide closure of educational centres because of recent Boko Haram attacks in the state initially obeyed the armed visitors, thinking they were government troops there to protect them.
18-year-old Godiya Isaiah, among those who managed to escape the abductors, told Reuters that “When we saw these gunmen, we thought they were soldiers, they told all of us to come and walk to the gates, and we followed their instructions.”
But when the armed men started ransacking the school stores and set fire to the building, the terrified girls being herded at gunpoint into vehicles realized they were being kidnapped.
“We were crying,” Isaiah said, recounting how she later jumped from a truck and ran away to hide in the bush. Other girls were packed into a bus and some pick-ups.
Shettima said at least 14 girls had managed to escape and reach safety. Borno state education commissioner Inuwa Kubo said other girls told the same story as Isaiah.
“They went into the bus unsuspecting,” he told Reuters.
“They were lured into the vehicle because they were told that the school was going to be attacked,” he added. The attackers also raided nearby Chibok town, ransacking stores and offices there and killing several people, witnesses said.
The Military authorities announced last night that most students of the Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok have been freed in the ongoing Search & Rescue operations to free the abducted students.
A statement issued by Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade said: “With this development, the Principal of the school has confirmed that only eight of the students were still missing. One of the terrorists who carried out the attack on the school has also been captured.”
Meanwhile, 14 of the abducted school girls had earlier excaped from the terrorists den.
This came as Governor Shettima of Borno State who briefed newsmen in Maiduguri on the students’ abduction said: “So far, 14 of the abducted female students have escaped and reunited with their families, and that government and security agencies are now having sleepless nights to ensure that the remaining ones are rescued”.
According to the governor, of the 14, five female students escaped same day they were abducted when one of the vehicles conveying them to the camps of the terrorists broke down in the bush, while the other 10 escaped when they were asked to go and wash plates for the terrorists in a nearby stream.
Governor Shettima added: “I have already given an instruction to all the security agencies to marshall all resources to see that these innocent students are rescued. I have to thank the security agencies, the principal of the school, the District Head and the Caretaker Chairman of the affected council for their support and cooperation since the sad incident happened. On behalf of Government and the people of Borno state, we have pledged N50million to anyone who givese information that will lead to the tracking/ rescuing of these our innocent daughters. I want to appeal to all and sundry to continue to pray for these students and for peace to return to our troubled state”, Shettima pleaded.
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