Lucky Obukohwo, Reporting
Panic swept through Minna, the Niger State capital, and several other parts of the state on Wednesday following rumours of a planned mass abduction of students, prompting schools to abruptly suspend academic activities.
By about 9:00 a.m., reports had begun circulating that armed bandits, allegedly travelling in large numbers on motorcycles, were advancing toward the state capital.
The rumours triggered widespread fear among residents and heightened concerns over a possible attack on schools, leading authorities and school administrators to take precautionary measures.
This resulted in a chaotic situation as parents abandoned their offices and businesses to go and pick their wards from school, especially those in the suburbs of the state capital.
Both public and private schools hurriedly short down academic activities as the staff also scrambled for their safety.
Also, schools in some local government headquarters like Guara, Gawu Babangida local, Sabon-Wuse, Tafa local government abruptly closed down activities for the day as parents rushed to pick their wards.
A parent, Samson Owolabi, who was seen returning from school where he had gone to pick his two children, told journalists that he decided not to take the rumour for granted because the memory of the Papiri missionary school school abduction in November last year is still very fresh.
“What is happening in the country right now is no longer child’s play. Whether this rumour is true or not, I have gone to pick my children and I will not allow them to go to school tomorrow”, he said.
Although while some schools decided to shut down their activities due to the security scare, others like El-Amin International School owned by late former first lady, Maryam Babangida, Himma International School and St. Clement Catholic Secondary school remain open.
Apart from schools, some churches within the state capital that usually observed their midweek service remain closed as members decided to stay away.
A pastor in one of the Pentecostal churches who preferred anonymity, told journalists that they decided to send text messages to members to stay at home and observe the security situation.
“There will be no church service today (Wednesday) due to the rumour that we are hearing because in every rumour, there is an iota of truth. So we are suspending the midweek church service for today,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Niger Police Command debunked the rumour of any planned terrorists attack targeting schools in the state, saying that the rumour is a calculated attempt to cause panic in the state.
The command in a statement in Minna by the public relation officer SP Wasiu Abiodun said the rumour is false and misleading.
While discarding the rumour of the planned attack, Wasiu said, “the Command hereby states categorically that, having visited all the schools mentioned in these areas, no such attack occurred nor sign of any planned attack in any school within the state.
“The Police Command urges members of the public to disregard this false information which is suspected to have originated from mischief makers to cause panic and fear in the public and school environment.”
He disclosed that security agencies had launched an intelligence-driven investigation to trace the origin of the false report and identify those responsible for spreading it.
He further stated that the Commissioner of Police, Adamu Abdullahi Elleman, had directed Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) across the state to collaborate closely with school administrators.
According to him, the directive is part of ongoing school protection initiatives aimed at enhancing security through increased police visibility and patrols around schools to safeguard students, staff, and surrounding communities.
He also urged members of the public to promptly report any suspicious movements or activities to the police through the following emergency lines: 0703 196 4389, 0803 223 3454, and 0916 880 2621.
