Richard Ginika Izuora
Security forces reportedly opened fire as violence marred the safe return of 279 Nigerian girls who were kidnapped by bandits from their school.
The girls had been undergoing lengthy medical checks and treatment following their safe release on Tuesday having been abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe town, Skynews reports.
But anxious and angry parents, left frustrated by the drawn-out procedures, burst into the school and grabbed their children to take them home.
Witnesses saw security forces firing tear gas and soldiers shooting into the air as stones were thrown at government officials.
One person died and two were injured in the mayhem, according to local media reports.
Authorities in the country’s Zamfara state were forced to declare a curfew and shut markets.
Zamfara state spokesman Sulaiman Tunau Anka described events as “unfortunate civil disobedience”, adding: “The state government is poised to ensure safety of lives and properties of its citizens at all cost.”
