Terrorists have reportedly retaliated against massive Nigerian Air Force (NAF) airstrikes in the Shiroro axis by invading a school in neighboring Niger State, with a number of students feared abducted, PRNigeria reports.
The abduction, which comes just days after the mass abduction of schoolgirls in neighboring Kebbi State, is understood to be in retaliation for the NAF airstrikes that killed scores of bandits and two of their commanders.
The invaded area, close to the Borgu axis, is near a notorious enclave of terrorists operating around the Kainji Dam.
A source within the school confirmed that the presence of NAF aircraft may have prevented a more devastating outcome, as the noise from the hovering aircraft forced the well-armed bandits to flee quickly with some of the students.
“We are grateful that the timely arrival of aircraft that were hovering in the air scare the well armed bandits who quickly escape with some of our students,” the source said.
PRNigeria gathered that special operatives and ground troops have been swiftly deployed and are already trailing the terrorists in an effort to rescue the victims.
The incident underscores the continuing threat posed by bandits and terrorist networks across the North-West and North-Central regions, particularly those targeting vulnerable educational institutions.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
