Nigerian authorities have intensified their efforts in a bid to rescue students abducted by armed men who raided their hostels.  Earlier, on Friday, Gunmen on motorcycles stormed the Government Science School at and engaged security forces in a fierce gun battle, forcing hundreds of students to flee and hide in surrounding bushes and forest. Now, the Nigerian authorities are making all possible efforts to rescue the children.

Aminu Bello Masari, State governor said soldiers were working to locate and free the hostages. He informed, soldiers, are currently in the bushes fighting the bandits." In order to support the rescue operation, additional force has been sent. National police spokesman Frank Mbas said "additional operational and investigative assets to support the ongoing search and rescue operations in Kankara" had been deployed. Masari said it was still not clear how many students were still in hand of Gunmen and how many had managed to escape."The school has a population of 839 and so far, we are yet to account for 333 students," Masari told a federal government delegation in his office on Sunday.

UN children's agency UNICEF condemned the assault on the school in Katsina, the home state of President Muhammadu Buhari. UNICEF in a statement on Sunday said it "condemns in the strongest possible terms this brutal attack and calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all children and their return to their families".

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