Suspected bandits on Wednesday invaded a secondary school in Iluke, Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, killing a vice principal and two other persons during an attempted abduction of students sitting the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination.
The attackers were said to have stormed the community in the early hours of the day and opened fire indiscriminately, causing panic among residents and students.
Sources in the area said the gunmen targeted UBE Iluke Bunu, one of the centres where candidates were writing the West African Examinations Council examination.
During the attack, the Vice Principal of Government Secondary School, Aharha-Bunu, Mr Gani Anifowose, was reportedly shot dead alongside two other victims.
An eyewitness said the assailants appeared determined to whisk away students and school personnel before security operatives intervened.
However, troops of the Nigerian Army stationed in nearby Suku-Kiri Bunu were said to have responded swiftly to a distress call and engaged the attackers, preventing what residents described as a potential mass abduction.
A source familiar with the incident said one of the suspected bandits was killed during the gun battle, while others escaped into nearby forests.
“The soldiers arrived promptly after receiving information about the attack. Their intervention saved many students and staff members from being kidnapped,” the source said.
The attack has heightened fears among residents, who expressed concern over the growing wave of insecurity in communities within the local government area.
There were also reports that some residents remained unaccounted for several hours after the invasion, raising concerns that additional persons may have been abducted or displaced during the incident.
As of the time of filing this report, the Kogi State Government and security agencies had yet to issue an official statement on the attack.
The latest incident comes amid renewed concerns over attacks on schools and communities across parts of the country, particularly during public examinations.
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