Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari has disclosed that
17 of the missing schoolboys kidnapped from a Government Science
Secondary School (GSSS) in Kankara Local Government Area of the
state have escaped from captivity.
Governor Masari who disclosed this in an interview on Monday
evening said the schoolboys were found and have been reunited with
their families.
He added that efforts have been intensified to rescue the
remaining schoolboys still in captivity, safely.
READ ALSO: Katsina Attack: Boko Haram Claims
Responsibility For Students’ Kidnap
“As at today (Monday), information available to me shows that 17
of the missing children have been found. 15 of them were found
around Dinya in Danmusa, I was informed by the DPO. One other was
found through them and the last, the father called that his son has
returned home.
“All these missing children who have been found have been
reunited with their families since we have shut down the schools,”
Masari said.
He said that the victims escaped unconditionally and one of the
abducted children’s father, who is also a teacher at the school was
contacted by the captors who warned that security forces should
stop using helicopters around their hideouts.
“I was told that they spoke with a teacher whose son was also
kidnapped that the bandits said the helicopter should stop roving
and that they will collect ransom but they didn’t specify. And so
they ended the call.
“Majority of the missing children are in the forest in Zamfara.
But God willing, the children will be returned safely,” the
governor added.
He said that the bandits however ordered that adequate money
should be earmarked and budgeted by those concerned pending the
completion of the ongoing rescue mission.
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The governor, therefore, solicited prayers and urged the parents
to remain calm and patient as “we are doing everything possible to
rescue the children.”
—-‘Still Counting’—-
On Friday evening, gunmen attacked Government Science Secondary
School in the Kankara council area of the north-west state,
kidnapping scores of students.
Police authorities said they received a report of the attack
around 11:30 pm and were told the bandits were armed with AK-47
rifles.
Initially, there were conflicting figures as to the number of
students abducted during the attack but two days after the incident
– Sunday – Governor Masari confirmed that 333 schoolchildren were
missing from the school.
“We are still counting because more are coming out from the
forest and we are calling through the numbers those parents that
have phone numbers to find out whether or not their children have
gone back home,” he said when he received a federal government
delegation led by the National Security Adviser, Babagana
Monguno.
READ ALSO: Why Bandits Kidnapped Over 300
Schoolboys In Katsina – Ƙankara Resident
The attack prompted the Katsina State Government to order the
closure of all boarding schools in the state, a move aimed at
forestalling similar occurrence.
Masari also on Monday told President Muhammadu Buhari that the
abductors have contacted the state government.
He explained that security agencies had located the position of
the children and expressed optimism that based on efforts made so
far, “the outlook is positive.”
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