Kaduna School turns prayer ground as other parents protest blocking road (+Video)

Of the about 180 students of the Bethel Baptist School that were abducted from their school in early Monday’s orchestrated attack on two Christian schools, 26 have been accounted for.

The Management is waiting for others who may have escaped to show up before it gives a final figure of those with the terrorists; but parents, mostly mothers, were in fervent prayers to Jesus Christ for the release of their children as a trending video shows.

Others blocked the popular Mararaba Rido Road, an entry way into the capital of a state that has become notorious, like neighbouring Niger State, for the mass kidnapping of students, amid apparent helplessness by a state governor, Nasir el Rufai, who had to withdraw his children from a public school to avert any kidnap attempt.

The Governor is believed to be a target of dare-devil bandits who have threatened to make governance difficult for him. His government has an unbending non-negotiation stance against abductors, often leading parents and loved ones negotiating with terrorists for the release of their children and wards. At least three students of the Greenfield University lost their lives in the past.

Baptist pastor and former Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Rev. Joseph Hayab, was one of the lucky parents whose children were among the 26 escapee students.

He told the Cable newspaper, “We cannot give the exact figure of those abducted for now, until those who ran into hiding for safety are back and a census of the students is taken, but we know they took a lot of students.”

“I am just speechless, I don’t know what to say. My son was among the students who narrowly escaped.

“I am part of this unfortunate incident because it is my church. This is a very, very sad situation for us.

“I was informed that bandits invaded the school around 2 a.m.

“They have just started the NECO exam and see what we are going through,” he was quoted to have said.

Earlier, it emerged that soldiers foiled an attempt by gunmen to attack Faith Academy, a secondary school owned by Living Faith Church Worldwide, founded by Bishop David Oyedpo.

Daily Trust newspaper reported that gunmen launched coordinated attacks on both Bethel secondary school and Faith Academy.

A security agent confirmed to our correspondent that the gunmen broke into the premises of Faith Academy through the back fence around 1a.m. but were repelled by soldiers, with assistance from the school security team.

A parent, whose son attends the school, told our correspondent that the school management had last week instructed all students to go home, except SS3 students who were preparing for final year exams.

She said adequate provision has been made to move the SS3 students to Barnawa in Kaduna south local government area where they are expected to continue with their studies.

She commended security agents for their timely intervention, saying her son and others who were in the hostel during the attack are safe and have been evacuated from the school premises.

At publication time, word was still expected from the Kaduna state government