Some women on Sunday protested on the streets of Kastina over the abduction of schoolboys from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Kankara Local Government Area of the state on Friday night.
This is coming as Governor Aminu Bello Masari of Katsina State confirmed that three hundred and thirty-three students were missing following the recent attack on the school.
The protesters, led by a woman who identified herself as one of the mothers of the abducted students, demanded the prompt rescue of students.
They went around the school’s premises, and some parts of the town with placards conveying various messages, among which are ‘Government must speak out’, ‘We want our children back’, ‘We want security in Kankara’, among others.
Meanwhile, Governor Aminu Masari confirmed that three hundred and thirty-three students were missing following the recent attack on Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, on Friday night.
Masari gave the figure when he received a Federal Government delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, at the Government House, Katsina.
The governor, who noted that the school has a population of 839 students, said those kidnapped cut across students from the state and outside the state.
“Based on the available record we have, we are still searching for 333 students through either the forest or their parents to ascertain the actual number that has been kidnapped,” Governor Masari said.
He continued: “We are still counting because more are coming out from the forest and we are calling, through their numbers, those parents that have phone numbers to find out whether or not their children have gone back home.
“We, as a government, are yet to be contacted by any group or person responsible for the kidnap of the students.”
General Bashir Magashi, leader of the delegation and Minister of Defence, in his remark, directed the armed forces, the police, and other security agencies to move faster to ensure the speedy return of the students.
The Defence Minister warned that bandits must not be allowed to rest for a moment, saying that it was high time the bandits were declared as terrorists.
“Today, we are here also to sympathise with you over the recent abduction of secondary school students which is a more or less ruthless exercise conducted to tamper with the education of the students,” he said.
He added: “With the brief we have received from sister security agencies in the state, this task will be very simple to accomplish”.
“Within the next few hours, we will ensure that these people are back without any collateral damage to the people of Katsina State.”