18th February, 2021
By Kazeem Ugbodaga
The Inspector General of Police, IGP, Mohammed Adamu says joint massive search and rescue mission is ongoing, with additional rescue assets deployed to rescue kidapped students and staff of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State.
Bandits had stormed the school early Wednesday and abducted 27 students, three staff and 12 family members.
A statement issued by CP Frank Mba, Force Public Relations Officer, PPRO, on Thursday said Adamu, had assured the nation that the Force was irrevocably committed to the safe rescue of all abductees in the recent attack on Government Science College, Kagara in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State and other related incidents.
“The IGP notes that a joint massive search and rescue mission involving the Police, the Military and other law enforcement agencies is ongoing to ensure that all abducted persons are rescued unhurt and reunited with their families.
“To give impetus to the rescue operation, the IGP has ordered the deployment of additional tactical, intelligence and investigative assets of the Force including four (4) units of Police Mobile Force (PMF) attached to Operation Puff Adder II, one (1) Unit of Police Special Forces, personnel of the Counter Terrorism Unit (CTU) and operatives from the Force Intelligence Bureau and the Force Criminal Investigations Department. One (1) Police aerial surveillance helicopter has also been deployed,” Mba said.
According to Mba, the Police component of the search and rescue operation was being coordinated by the Commissioner of Police, Niger State who is effectively harnessing all the deployed resources and working in sync with the military and other law enforcement agents in ensuring an intelligence-driven, focused and result-oriented ground and aerial surveillance in the rescue operations and to bring the perpetrators to book.
“The Inspector General of Police, while calling for calm, has enjoined members of the community to provide the Force and the security community with useful, relevant and timely information that can assist in the ongoing search and rescue operations,” Mba added.