Panic in Abuja as gunmen invade school

L-R: The driver, The Vine Kiddies Academy bus, Abu Sunday, fielding questions on his encounter with unknown gunmen who hijacked the school bus at Nyanya. With him are Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba; and the Executive Director of the school, Mrs. Temitayo Fola-Kolade, in Abuja... on Tuesday
| credits: NAN

There was panic in the Federal Capital Territory on Tuesday when three unknown gunmen invaded a private school, The Vine Kiddies International Academy, Nyanya,  Kurudu, in a white Golf Volkswagen car.

The school is located a few kilometres from the scene of the first and second bomb blasts that occurred on April 14 and May 1, 2014 respectively.

The three gunmen, according to the security guard of the school, arrived in the area at about 6 a.m. in the car and parked a few metres away from the school gate but waited until  8am when classes began.

The security guard, Gabriel Fishing, told our correspondent that no harm was done to any of the pupils during the attack.

He said, “As early as 6am, I  sighted three men in a Golf  car parked some distance away from the school carrying a Video camera and filming the area, but I thought they were camera men or film actors.

“Few minutes before 8am, they approached the school gate where I  was standing and brought out guns from their bags and forced me to  lie down on the ground.”

The security man further said he could not ascertain their exact mission to the school.

Fishing said while he was on the ground, the armed men forced one of the school bus drivers, Tunji, who had just conveyed  pupils to the premises to hand over the key of the bus to them.

He explained that the men drove away the bus with Abuja registration number, XG 246 GWA and engine number R2H1050040875.

The security guard identified the guns carried by the men as AK47.

The Director  of the school, Mrs. Folakolade Temitayo,  stated that she was not in the school at the time of the incident, but was informed on the phone by one of her staff.

She said, “I immediately alerted the police in Nyanya when I heard that the attack was going on, so that they could block roads leading out of the area in Phase four.”

Temitope said she promptly directed her members of staff to send text message assuring parents of the safety of their wards.

She called on security agencies to scale up security around the school in order for the school to continue its operation.

The director said the school had decided to operate only on Tuesday and had sent messages to parents, on account of the directive of the Federal Government to offices in Abuja to shut down for the World Economic Forum on Africa.

The incident attracted security operatives including soldiers, policemen and men of the Civil Defence who arrived the scene few  hours after the attack.

An army officer from the Brigade of Guards, who pleaded anonymity, said that because of increasing incidence of crime and bomb attacks in Nyanya, a military unit had been mounted  in the area for speedy response to distress calls.

The Commander, Army Headquarters Garrison, N.T Ndionu, FCT Director, State Security Service, John Okogie and the Commander of the FCT Civil Defence,  visited the school shortly after the attack.

The incident caused widespread panic in Nyanya, Karu, Jikwoyi and Kubwa and other satellite towns as parents rushed to schools to pick their children and wards.

The FCT Police Public Relations Officer, Altine Daniel, said no child was abducted from the school, adding that it was just a car-hijacking incident.

But the police headquarters said it recovered a Toyota Hiace bus that was stolen by the three gunmen at the Vine International Academy, Nyanya, Phase IV, on the outskirts of Abuja, on Tuesday.

Police operatives  attached to Nasarawa Police Command, following a massive hunt, intercepted and recovered the bus along Lafia Road, Nasarawa State and arrested two suspects, Victor Essien, aged 40 and Ubong Bassey, aged 49.

A statement by the Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba said  the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Abubakar, commended his men for a job well done, and reassured Nigerians of the enhanced state of security in the Federal Capital Territory  and its environs.