Five of the 39 students abducted by bandits from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka in Kaduna State have regained freedom.

The five students returned on Monday afternoon and were taken to a military medical facility for examination, the Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs in the state, Samuel Aruwan, said in a statement.

The five students and 34 of their colleagues were abducted by bandits who invaded the school on March 11, 2021.

The assailants stormed the school very early in the morning with the intention to abduct many students in what can be described as a silent attack.

Their operation was, however, thwarted by soldiers who promptly responded to a distress call and engaged the bandits in a fierce gunfight.

This led to the rescue of 180 people, comprising 132 male students, 40 female students, and eight civilian staff.

Despite the intervention of the soldiers, the assailants abducted 23 female and 16 male students – a situation that has left their parents in despair with calls on the government to rescue them.

One of those missing was a female student, Fatima Shamaki, whose father died from a heart attack after the news of her abduction was broken to him.