Armed bandits have reportedly attacked Iluke Bunu community in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State, leaving at least three people dead, including a vice principal, during a violent attempt to abduct students writing the ongoing West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE).
The incident occurred on Wednesday, June 10, when the attackers invaded the community and targeted the UBE Iluke Bunu examination centre, where the candidates were sitting for their exams.
According to eyewitness accounts, the assailants stormed the area in large numbers, triggering panic as gunshots rang out across the community.
Residents and students were forced to flee for safety as the attackers attempted to forcefully abduct candidates.
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A community source described the scene as chaotic and terrifying, noting that heavy gunfire disrupted the examination process and threw the entire area into confusion.
Gani Anifowose, the Vice Principal of Government Secondary School, Aharha-Bunu, was confirmed killed during the attack, alongside two other victims.
Several residents are also said to be missing following the incident.
Security operatives, including soldiers from a nearby formation in Suku-Kiri Bunu, reportedly responded swiftly to distress calls.
Troops engaged the attackers in a gun battle, preventing what could have turned into a mass abduction of students and school staff.
Authorities confirmed that one of the bandits was neutralised during the exchange, while others escaped into surrounding forested areas with injuries.
Residents have since called for increased security presence in the area, lamenting what they described as a worsening wave of attacks on rural communities in the state.
Search-and-rescue operations are reportedly ongoing as security agencies continue to comb nearby bushes for fleeing suspects and missing persons.
