The military on Wednesday said it was unaware of the abduction of students of Government Girls Secondary School, Dipcha in Yobe State.
It said it was waiting on the school authorities’ briefing on the situation even as it said troops had been moved into the town to secure it and go after the fleeing insurgents.
Speaking on the telephone to newsmen on Wednesday, the spokesman of the military counter-insurgency operation in the North East (Operation Lafiya Dole), Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said the military could not say for now if there was any abduction in the school as it was still waiting on the school authorities to make a roll call and check through the school register to ascertain if there was any student missing.
He said: “The Dapchi incident is quite an unfortunate one. The information so far received is that the principal of the school had dispersed the students on hearing sporadic shooting before the insurgents arrived the school premises.
“Many of the students some of whom are indigenous had scurried to safety in different directions. So far no destruction of property or killing has been reported but there were cases of looting of food and provisions.
“Our troops have moved into the community and are on the trail of the insurgents.
“I will like to add that the attack on Dipcha is diversionary because of the heat being brought upon the insurgents by our troops in the ongoing operation Deep Punch II.”
