Panic erupted on Monday night at Government Girls College, Maiduguri, Borno State after students fled their hostels, alleging they had spotted “men dressed in black with face masks.”
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The incident occurred around 8:25 p.m., sending terrified students into nearby streets, many still wearing their hostel attire. Security personnel were quickly dispatched to the school.
Borno State Governor’s spokesperson, Dauda Illiya, called for calm, assuring the public that security agencies had taken control of the situation.
He wrote on Facebook: “A panic incident occurred this evening at the Government Girls College in Maiduguri. In response, security agencies were immediately deployed and have successfully restored order.”
He added that top government officials in Borno were already at the school and asked the public to disregard any false information.
A Facebook user, Amos Adziba, posted a video of the students fleeing. He quoted one of them as saying that “men in black with face masks entered their hostels while they were praying in the mosque.”
The student begged the government to let them go home “so they won’t be kidnapped like the Chibok girls.”
Amos also appealed to the authorities, saying, “We are calling on the Chief Security Officer of the state, the Commissioner of Police… and the Commissioner of Education… to quickly intervene before we hear bad news.”
However, the police later said the alarm was false.
A statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, ASP Nahum Daso, explained that investigations showed the fear started after some students panicked near the staff quarters’ gate, claiming they saw unidentified figures behind the fence.
The statement, titled “False Alarm on Alleged Attack at Government Girls College, Maiduguri,” said the panic led to a brief stampede but no one was harmed.
It added that officers, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Garba Audu Bosso, quickly arrived and assessed the situation.
“The situation triggered fear, leading to a minor stampede, with no loss of life recorded,” Daso said.
The Borno State Commissioner of Police, Naziru Abdulmajid, urged the public “to remain calm and refrain from spreading unverified information capable of causing unnecessary panic.”
Police say normalcy has been restored and more updates will follow.
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