Isaac Samuel
There was confusion on Thursday in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and neighbouring Nasarawa State as a reported kidnap scare led to the abrupt closure of several schools, even as the police later dismissed the incident as false.
Schools in Nyanya and Mararaba were thrown into panic following unverified reports of an alleged attack on a school in Nyanya by suspected bandits.
The rumour quickly spread across communities, prompting schools to shut down and parents to rush in to evacuate their children.
In Mararaba, particularly in Aso A and Aso B areas, academic activities were disrupted as schools suspended operations.
Henjodan Primary and Secondary School and Merit Gate Scholar Academy were among the institutions affected, with school authorities directing students to return home amid rising tension.
Some parents said they acted on circulating information about a possible attack, though there was no official confirmation at the time the evacuation began.
However, calm was later restored after the FCT Police Command debunked reports of any kidnapping incident, describing the alarm as false.
According to the Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, police operatives attached to the Nyanya Division responded immediately to a distress call alleging a kidnapping incident at Phase 1 Primary School, Gbagalape.
She said officers moved swiftly to the scene and found no evidence of an abduction, no suspect, and no victim. Preliminary findings, she explained, showed that panic broke out after some pupils reportedly shouted “kidnappers,” triggering confusion and a rush out of the school premises.
The Command urged residents to remain calm and avoid spreading unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic in communities.
