The police have widened their search for abducted schoolgirls to creeks in Ikorodu and Epe in Lagos State, as well as creeks in Ondo and Ogun states.
This is just as residents of Lugbusi village, a community in Ikorodu, where Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School is located, urged the management of the college to beef up its security.
They said lapses in the security of the school enabled the gunmen to successfully storm a classroom while pupils were studying around 8pm on Monday and abducted three schoolgirls.
BMJS is a co-educational secondary school owned by some dioceses of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion).
The bandits, numbering 15, had gained access into the school through its low fence, which borders uncompleted buildings and bush. They shot sporadically while the attack lasted for about 25 minutes.
The school had, however, engaged some bricklayers to raise the fence on Wednesday.
The kidnappers had demanded a ransom of N300m for the release of the girls, which they later reduced to N100m.
The presence of security operatives within and outside the school premises had increased on Thursday.
Our correspondents gathered from security sources that the police and other security agencies had increased their search for the abducted girls to other creeks apart from the ones in the Ikorodu area.
He said the operatives, while negotiating with the kidnappers, were also searching Epe and other creeks in Ogun and Ondo states.
He said, “We are working based on a tip-off and intelligence. The search is not to endanger the girls, but to be able to get to them immediately their captors release them.”
The source told our correspondents that there was pressure on the kidnappers, expressing optimism that the victims would soon be freed.
“We have been up and doing since Monday night. Some significant moves have been made and we are working with the clues we have to get the students rescued safely,” the source added.
Our correspondents also gathered that some arrests have been made in an effort to get the kidnappers.
The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Dolapo Badmos, however, told one of our correspondents that the police had made renewed efforts towards rescuing the pupils.
She declined to explain the efforts of the police or the areas the police were combing in search of the victims.
She said, “For now we are working towards recovering the pupils. Operations are still ongoing. That is the most important thing for now. I will get back to you in due course.”
However, a resident, who identified himself only as Maruf, said the school and the community at large were not well secured.
He said, “Generally, there is no adequate security in this community. It is seen as a remote area and security agents are not always on grounds. Our village is big and a larger part of it is filled with bush and miscreants. The bush gives room for miscreants to do evil.
“The school management is aware of this. This is not the time to apportion blame; rather, we are praying that the pupils are safe wherever they are and come back.”
Another resident, Dorcas Edmund, called for adequate policing of the community.
“There was a similar attack on the school recently which failed. Proper security measures should have been put in place since then. Since Tuesday, police have been on surveillance 24 hours in the community which was not like that before. The police should not wait till things like this happen before responding to security challenges,” she said.
The head of Lugbusi village, Chief Michael Omoloju, said, “I am not happy at all since this incident happened and I pray that God will rescue these children. We have talked to our ancestors to take over this matter. I just learnt today (Wednesday) that the attackers had made previous attempts. Government should provide more security in this village. The security is not enough for the school. We need a police post here.”
The Oba of Ikorodu, Kabiru Shotobi, described the kidnappers as heartless, and enjoined people to pray fervently for the return of the pupils.
-punchng