Nasarawa: Pupils mistook hunters with Dane guns as kidnappers – Police, headmistress

By Abel Daniel, Lafia

The Nasarawa State Police Command has dismissed reports circulating on social media and some news platforms alleging that armed men invaded St. Peter’s Academy, Rukubi, in Doma Local Government Area and abducted two pupils.

In a statement on Friday, the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ramhan Nansel, described the report as false and entirely misleading.

According to Nansel, the Commissioner of Police, CP Shetima Jauro Mohammed, immediately deployed a combined team of police operatives and military personnel stationed in the area after receiving an unverified report that two pupils had been kidnapped while participating in sports on the school field.

“Upon arrival, it was discovered that the pupils had sighted some hunters carrying Dane guns and, out of fear, fled, mistaking them for kidnappers,” Nansel said.

He explained that security personnel conducted a thorough search of the area and found no threat, after which normalcy was restored. The school proprietor also confirmed to operatives that the alarm was false.

Nansel urged the public to disregard the viral report, describing it as “mere rumour unworthy of publication,” and advised journalists to verify information before dissemination to avoid misleading the public.

Headmistress: “It Was Just a Scare”

The headmistress of Peter Quality Foundation Academy, Rukubi, Mrs. Esther Ndernen, also refuted the kidnapping claim in a telephone interview, insisting that no child was abducted and no parent reported a missing pupil.

She explained that the incident occurred during a break period when pupils went to a playground behind the school.

“One of them went into a nearby bush to defecate and saw some people working on their farm. They were wearing dark clothing, and the boy concluded they were kidnappers,” she said.

The frightened pupil reportedly ran back to the field to alert others and later returned to the school compound, unknowingly spreading panic.

“Our teachers were with them but didn’t notice when he ran back. Before we knew it, the rumour had spread. Some children even ran home to tell their parents that kidnappers had come,” the headmistress added.

Mrs. Ndernen said she personally visited the farm area and met only local farmers at work. She noted that lingering fear in the community following a recent kidnapping incident likely heightened the children’s anxiety.

She expressed surprise at the swift response by soldiers and police who arrived to verify the alarm, but maintained that the situation was nothing more than a misunderstanding.

“What happened around 10:00 a.m. was just a scare. If there had been a real kidnap, at least one parent would have come to the school,” she said.

The Police Command assured residents that surveillance in the area would continue to prevent any security breach.

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