The Nigerian Army has said troops are tracking the gunmen who abducted four persons from an examination centre in Olowa community, Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Naijaonpoint reports that the Commanding Officer of the 21 Battalion, Nigerian Army, Godiya Monde, said the kidnappers had made contact and that security personnel were working to determine their location.
Monde spoke on Thursday while addressing journalists at the scene of the attack.
He assured the families of the victims that troops had intensified efforts to rescue them safely.
“They’ve made some calls so far. We are tracking them to see where they are. I’m assuring you, we’re going to rescue those children,” he said.
The commanding officer put the number of victims at four, comprising two students, the school principal and a National Examinations Council supervisor.
Monde said, “Two children were kidnapped students, including the principal and the supervisor that came for the NECO exam.
“We can have a total number of four, and presently, we are still searching for them, waiting for their call.”
The clarification followed earlier reports that more students might have been taken during the attack.
Monde said soldiers moved into the surrounding forest after receiving information about the incident and had blocked routes the assailants could use to move the victims.
He further stated, “That was how we sprang into action and went into the bush searching.
“Presently, we have blocked all the suspected crossing points where we expect them to move with those children.”
According to him, the operation was aimed at restricting the kidnappers’ movement and preventing them from taking the victims deeper into the forest.
The Army officer said the school was located in an isolated part of the community, making it difficult for troops to reach the premises quickly.
He described the centre as a “miracle centre” allegedly being used by external candidates sitting the Literature in English examination.
“The issue is that this school is definitely isolated, and it’s actually tagged as a miracle centre for the students,” he said.
“Ten students were brought here for the Literature in English exams, and around 1600 hours, we got the call that the school was attacked.”
Monde said troops initially struggled to locate the school and had to rely on the assistance of a resident.
“Even to locate the school was not easy, but we finally got here with the aid of somebody from the community,” he added.
The officer said soldiers found examination materials scattered around the premises when they arrived. According to him, the sight of the abandoned scripts confirmed that an attack had taken place.
Monde said, “When we got here, we saw some papers littered on the ground.
“That was when we confirmed that actually something of that nature must have taken place in these classes.”
