Some of our students were kidnapped by Boko Haram - Schoolgirl

Narrating her ordeal, Aishatu said the insurgents came in three trucks and contrary to reports that they carted away foods, they pushed students and workers of the school into their waiting vehicles.

Read Aishatu's narrative here as translated from Hausa

“My name is Aishatu Abdullahi. I am a Senior Secondary (SS) student of GGSS Dapchi.

“I was in the school when the Boko Haram insurgents came at exactly the time we were preparing to break our usual Monday fast. They were shooting guns and everyone was confused; then we started running helter skelter but they were able to. We saw some people pushing some of the students to enter their vehicles.

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“There were no soldiers at the time of the invasion. It was later after the principal placed a call that some soldiers came and then we began to see helicopter hovering around the village.

”We were in the mosque when the Boko Haram gunmen came into the town. According to the accounts of some of my mates, the Boko Haram told those that were caught in the mosque to sit on the floor, including our teachers. One of our teacher was injured in his leg and hand – I don’t know if it was from gunshot. We don’t know what later happened, the gunmen later left the people in the mosque.

“They came in three trucks. But they didn’t cart away food from our store as claimed.

“Some of the other schoolgirls ran with some of our teachers to a house near the school. We saw the women in the house running away, but we had to enter and hide inside the house. All of us that escaped including our school principal, the vice principal and some other teachers stayed in the deserted house till morning.

”I cannot say how many of us (were involved) but I know that our game master was able to escape with about 60 students into the bush.

“Many students cannot be accounted for till this moment, some classes are empty, some classes had less than 15 students; some said ten could not be accounted for; mostly all of the classes have missing students.

“Many of us are traumatised; many were even fainting upon hearing any unusual sounds due to the experience.

”The school has given us one week to go home for a break; but in all honesty, I am not willing to come back here because we are scared of what could happen to us in the future.”

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Yobe police command yet to confirm alleged missing students

In a report by Premium Times, the Yobe State police commissioner, Sunmonu Abdulmaliki, said that the school was attacked, but no immediate confirmation that any of the schoolgirls were abducted.

Abdulmaliki said: “Quite alright, the school was attacked.

“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.

“I am sure by morning tomorrow, I should get the details from the ministry to know whether there are missing children or not.”

The Dapchi attack

On Monday night, February 19, 2018, Dapchi town came under heavy attack of the Boko Haram leading to residents including students of Government Girls Secondary school, Dapchi, fleeing into the bush.

The insurgents reportedly attacked the headquarters of the Bursari local government council as well as the Girls Secondary school.

Alhaji Zanna Abatcha, chairman Bursari local government council said that the suspected insurgents have already left the town and more security operatives have been deployed to maintain security.