BREAKING NEWS, Education
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IT was like something from an action movie. A group of gunmen stormed a Lagos school, shot in the air to cause commotion and abducted the vice principal, a teacher and four pupils of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla in Epe. The incident was in a sombre mood on Thursday, October 6, shortly after the criminals abducted their victims which occurred around 8.am.
The 29-year-old school released the names of those kidnapped as A.O Oyesola, vice principal, Lukman Oyerinde, English teacher and four pupils identified as Abu, Emmanuel Okonkwo, Jeremiah Ruth and Isaac Adebisi. All abducted pupils are in JSS One. They are freshers.
Ironically, the English teacher is the late Olaitan Oyerinde’s brother. Oyerinde was Edo State Governor Adams Oshiomhole’s aide, who was murdered in Benin City.
The gunmen, including one believed to be a woman, barged into the Junior School Assembly Hall while the children were praying. Two of them were said to be hooded.
They came in three speed boats, entering into the premises from the gate of the boys’ hostel shortly after the senior students had vacated their assembly hall.
Five of the hoodlums had guns while one held a cutlass.
A student who witnessed the whole recalled: “They just entered and said, ‘everyone lie down’. We started running. Many of us ran into the bush. People were just running in different directions. Then, they took some students away and some were following them.”
Shortly after the incidence, apprehensive parents stormed the school to take away their wards. But they were stopped by Idiat Adebule, deputy governor of Lagos State and the management, who assured them that security had been strengthened.
Adebule told a crowd of parents: “It is true that in the last 29 years that this school was established, we have never experienced such a thing like this, but now that it has happened and it is confronting us, we must come together to find a lasting solution to it. We, as government, parents, the school and security agencies, must remain united to solve this problem.
“I know you are angry, I know you are worried and I know you are agitated, but we must look for solution. But I plead for the understanding of parents in this matter. I know how traumatic it could be, I know how emotional the issue we are discussing could be, but the best we can do is to handle it with care and with utmost wisdom that God can give us.
“It is God who secures; it is God who protects and even in other climes where you have everything, you still have this type of incursion once in a while, but what we should be talking about is how we can collectively solve this problem.”
She added that all security agencies, including the Police, Air Force, Navy, the Army and others had been fully mobilised to ensure the rescue of the victims.
— Oct 7, 2016 @ 14:12 GMT
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