Lagos traces Epe abductions to Ijaw militants

The Lagos state government says suspected Ijaw militants might be behind the kidnappings which occurred in the Epe area of the state on Thursday.

Some gunmen had invaded the assembly ground of Igbonla Model College, abducting four students, a vice principal and head teacher.

The police said two students have been rescued.

Speaking when she visited the school, Idiat Adebule, deputy governor, said the government would work assiduously to ensure prompt rescue of the victims.

Adebule, who was accompanied by top government functionaries and head of security agencies, condemned the act, but pleaded with parents and families of the victims to cooperate with government and security agencies in ensuring prompt rescue of the victims.

While addressing hundreds of parents who had come to the school to withdraw their children, Adebule said tension would further compound the situation.

“It is true that in the last 29 years that this school was established, we have never experienced such a thing like this, but now that it has happened and it is confronting us, we must come together to find a lasting solution to it,” she said.

“We, as government, parents, the school and security agencies, must remain united to solve this problem.

“I know you are angry, I know you are worried and I know you are agitated, but we must look for solution. But I plead for the understanding of parents in this matter. I know how traumatic it could be, I know how emotional the issue we are discussing could be, but the best we can do is to handle it with care and with utmost wisdom that God can give us.

“It is God who secures, it is God who protect and even in other climes where you have everything, you still have this type of incursion once in a while, but what we should be talking about is how can we collectively solve this problem.”

Fatai Owoseni, commissioner of police, assured the parents and families of the victims that the rescue operation already launched would be the shortest in the history of the command.

While soliciting for the support of the parents, Owoseni said security agencies were already in custody of useful leads, adding that there was a strong hope of rescuing the victims.

“All I just want to say for now is that you have to work with us. What we also need from you is your prayers,” he said.

“We will seek your understanding and for now, I will not reveal much because as we speak, there are agents of the kidnappers here and they will reveal whatever we say here to them.

“We have a government in Lagos State that is ready to go all out and I can assure you that this will be the shortest rescue operation that we will carry out. We will do everything we need to do to secure the release of the victims.”