Zamfara State Governor Muhammad Bello Matawalle has directed the immediate shut down of all primary and secondary schools across the 14 local government areas of the state.
This is coming hours after bandits abducted of 73 students of Government Day Secondary school, Kaya in Maradun LGA.
The abduction, according to the state police command on Wednesday, followed the invasion of the school by large number of armed bandits that occurred 11:22 am.
Zamfara is one of the northwest’s states that is hardest hit by banditry.
Apart from mass killings and abductions of civilians, the dare-devil bandits recently shot down a Nigerian Air Force fighter jet.
Matawalle hails from Maradun, one of the hubs banditry in the state.
The police command under the leadership of CP Ayuba N Elkanah, said it had deployed search and rescue team that was mandated to work in synergy with the military to ensure the safe rescue of the abducted students
The police chief appealed to the general Public especially parents and relatives of the abducted students to exercise patience and continue to pray for the success of the ongoing rescue operation.
The police commissioner, in a press briefing earlier in his office, announced the shutdown of all schools in the state.
“I wish to inform the general public that the executive governor of Zamfara State has ordered the closure of all schools within the state. Both primary and secondary schools that are existing here are now closed with immediate effect,” he said.
He also said the schools would be closed until security improves.
“It’s a threat, you know the bandits will like to go back to kidnap these students, so for their safety, the schools have to be closed until peace is restored in the state,” he added.
The police chief said the police are yet to confirm the number of those abducted.
He also said the government had restricted movement from 6:00 pm to 6:00 am in 13 local government areas. However, for Gusau, the state capital, movement restriction will be from 8:00 pm to 6:00 am.
