Katsina State governor, Aminu Masari has ordered the immediate closure of all boarding secondary schools in the state.
The order is coming on the heels of the abduction of an unspecified number of students at Government Science Secondary School, Kankara by bandits on Friday night.
The governor, who was accompanied by his deputy, Alhaji Mannir Yakubu, and other top government officials, visited the school on Saturday for an on-the-spot assessment of the situation.
During the visit, the governor also met with the school officials, some parents, traditional and religious leaders as well as security officials.
He pleaded with residents to be patient and show restraint and understanding, assuring them that government will do every necessary thing to ensure the release of all the abducted students.
He said security officials comprising the military, police, and the Department of State Services had swung into action and are on the trail of the abductors.
Masari further assured that both the federal and state government are doing their best to bring an end to banditry and other debilitating crimes in the state.
According to him, the government is very firm in its resolve to be ruthless in any engagement with the bandits.