Fear has enveloped residents of Nyanya-Gwandara community in Karu local government area of Nasarawa state over possible attacks on the people by suspected Boko Haram members.
The town, which is situated in neighbouring Nasarawa state, had been thrown into fear since the first and May Day bomb blasts in Nyanya, which claimed many lives.
Blueprint gathered that about 8am yesterday, parents were seen rushing to schools to withdraw their children following the information that Boko Haram insurgents were in the town to kidnap their children.
One of the residents, Mr. Mike John, said it was the fears that lead parents to withdraw their children from schools, adding that the main issue was an armed robber that invaded one of the schools close to the community and went away with a school bus.
He said: “Well, I don’t blame the parents for taking that action because what happened is similar to Boko Haram. It was a group of armed robbers that stole a school bus and some people were thinking that there were children in the bus while actually there were no children inside the bus.”
Also, another parent, Hadiza Yusuf, an asthmatic patient, described the situation as “worrisome,” saying that she lost breath when she was running to pick her children from school immediately she heard about it.
She said: “When I heard about it that Boko Haram members were in Gwandara to kidnap children, I ran out of my house without remembering to carry my inhaler and on my way, my breath ceased; it was with the aid of someone who knows my relative that called my brother before they brought my inhaler to me.”
Blueprint reports that the police division in Karu was have already been put on alert and have been checking motorists coming in from the capital city.
