Yobe attack: ‘Many girls are missing’ – Escapee schoolgirl

Aishatu Abdullahi, one of the schoolgirls that escaped Boko Haram’s Monday night attack on Dapchi town of Yobe State, has said it was not all of the students that were so lucky.

According to her, some of the girls may have been taken away by the armed insurgents.

Premium Times could not independently verify if some students were indeed kidnapped.

The Yobe State police commissioner, Sunmonu Abdulmaliki, told Premium Times Tuesday night that the school was attacked, but no immediate confirmation that any of the schoolgirls were abducted.”

“Quite alright, the school was attacked,” Mr. Abdulmaliki said by telephone. “As at today, both the parents and the school authorities are doing a headcount.”

“The school has up to 900 students, some of them are on farms, some of them have not resumed,” he added. “I am sure by morning tomorrow, I should get the details from the ministry to know whether there are missing children or not.”

Mr. Abdulmaliki had earlier said three men were kidnapped by the insurgents from a nearby community attacked after the attack on Dapchi.

Dapchi town came under heavy attack of the Boko Haram on Monday night leading to residents including students of Government Girls Secondary school, Dapchi, fleeing into the bush.

The seemingly traumatised girl who spoke with a Premium Times reporter on phone said the attackers came with the intention of abducting students ”before many of us took to the bushes by scaling the perimeter fence of the school.”

The girl spoke while on her way out of Daphi town following the announced one-week break declared by the school. She said she saw some of the girls ”being forced away by the armed gunmen.”

 

Premium Times, February 20, 2018

 

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