*Kaduna Hosts Freed Pupils
THE Federal Government on Monday, March 25, insisted that no ransom was paid to facilitate the release of the 137 students earlier kidnapped by armed gunmen from Kuriga in Chikun Local Council of Kaduna State.
This was disclosed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, while speaking with journalists at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, presided over by President Bola Tinubu, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Recall that on March 7, over 200 students were reportedly abducted by bandits on motorcycles from the LEA Primary and Secondary School in Kuriga, Kaduna State.
The state, which shares borders with the capital city of Abuja, has been under the siege of gunmen and bandits, who have kidnapped students and residents for ransom.
Governor Uba Sani had in a statement on Sunday, March 24, confirmed the release of the school children.
Idris explained that the non-payment of ransom is in line with Tinubu’s policy of dealing with such matters, saying the President appreciated the role of the security services in the safe return of the abductees and vowed that all those involved in such acts would be fished out.
“As promised by Mr. President, these children were reunited or had been rescued from these captors and as usual and in keeping with the commitment of Mr. President, no ransom was paid.
“The Federal Executive Council and Mr. President are very grateful to especially the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Service Chiefs and all security agents who participated diligently in ensuring that this kidnapped children are reunited with their families.
“Government is determined to ensure that the lives and property of all Nigerians are protected at all times, and Mr. President has also charged security agencies to ensure that these kidnappings are brought to a halt finally in this country.
“Indeed, all those who are participating in this criminal act will be fished out by the security agencies and will never go unpunished.”
He stressed: “The question of ransom, whether ransom was paid, I have told you here severally that the President is determined to end this cycle of payment of ransom to kidnappers. Government believes that this continues to encourage these kidnappers and criminal elements to perpetrate the act within the Nigerian nation.
“And it is the official position of government, as I announced last week, that ransom will not be tolerated, ransom will not be encouraged, ransom will not be paid by government to rescue people. And what that means, of course, is that there’s now a new strategy put in place .
“On what strategy has been put in place, the security agencies will not reveal to you their modus operandi, but suffice it to say that the security agencies are also upping their game, involving new strategies on getting at these criminal elements and ensuring that our children or anybody who is kidnapped for that matter, is taken up with safety.
“This is consistent with the message of the President that has been given out in the last couple of weeks that this children will be reunited with their families. And all those who are kidnapped from all parts of the country will also be reunited with their families.
“What type of strategies is best known to the security agencies, what is important here is that Nigeria has been able to rescue these people and I think we should be cheerful about that and whatever strategy that is involved in doing that, we will continue to encourage security agencies to continue.”
On why the government has not been able to liaise with the Kaduna-based Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, who seems to have information on kidnappers and bandits activities, Idris said that the security agencies were up and doing to get credible information from Nigerians that would lead to the end of the criminal acts
He, however, warned that government would not fold its arms and watch some people make reckless comments, adding that Gumi has been a guest of the security agencies.
“Anybody that gets any kind of information that is required to solve our problems, the security agencies are up and doing. Gumi or any other individual for that matter is not above the law.
“If you have suggestions that are constructive enough for the security agencies to take, they will take, but if they think that he is also making some statements that appear to be reckless, he will also be reprimanded. There is nobody that is above the law in this regard.
“And I’m aware that he has been also a guest of security agencies to answer questions. When you make remarks, especially remarks that border on our national security, it is incumbent on the security agencies to dig further into that, and they’re doing just that. No one is above the law in this direction.”
Pressed to clarify the actual number of the students kidnapped, which the initial report put at 287, the minister said the most important thing was that all the victims had been released unhurt, adding: “There was a question on the report that 287 of these children were taken, you know, what I can tell you is that there is no report that any of these kidnapped victims, either died or has been withheld.
“So, all those that have been taking have been brought back in safety to their families. I can tell you that.”
The Kaduna State Government, on Monday, March 2, received the 137 rescued abducted students, who were rescued in Zamfara State on Sunday, March 24, at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, amid tight security.
They were driven with security escorts to the Women and Children Shelter, for psychosocial therapy before being reunited with their respective parents.
Six of the students were immediately hospitalised at the Army medical facility in Dallet Barracks, Kawo, Kaduna.
The General Officer Commanding(GOC), 1 Division, Maj-Gen. Mayirenso Saraso, who disclosed this while presenting the rescued schoolchildren to the governor.
The GOC said one male student and five female pupils were at the Army hospital receiving treatment and would be handed over to the state government as soon as they were certified to be medically fit.
In his remarks, the governor cautioned “merchants of conflicts” wondering the wrong how the 137 schoolchildren were rescued by the Army, and politicians against politicising issues of security, as doing so would endanger the lives and property of citizens.
The GOC insisted that in all 137 students and staff abducted by the bandits on March 7, this year, were rescued, while one staff died in captivity.
While reiterating that no ransom was paid for the release of the students, Saraso said the feat was made possible by “the sustained and coordinated application of both kinetic and non-kinetic efforts” by the security agencies under the strategic guidance of the President through the Office of the NSA.
He explained that the students were initially received and administered first aid at the Nigeria Army Troops Forward Operating Base in Dandadau, Zamfara State, before being conveyed under escort to Kaduna on Sunday, March 24.
“We successfully freed 137, but you will discover that six of them are not presently with us here. They are being attended to medically in our facility at Dallet Barracks- one male with five female students- who have been hospitalised.
“His Excellency visited them last night and he saw all the students, including those lying on hospital beds. So, those six when eventually discharged, when they get better, will join their 131 colleagues who are here physically present to complete the figure of 137.
“In all, there were 137 children and one staff member, making 138 persons together that were abducted from the co-located schools on the ill-fated day.
“Unfortunately, the staff member, Abubakar, is not here with us today, because he died while in captivity.
“The breakdown of the figure of the rescued children shows that there are 76 females and 61 males.”
The governor, while receiving the schoolchildren, without their parents, decried the way and manner issues of security were being politicised in the country, even as he commended Tinubu for standing firmly by the state government right from the day the incident happened.
He assured that his administration would give security top priority, being the number one agenda of his government, saying with the rescue of the children, he can now sleep profoundly, as he had had “sleepless nights” since the incident.
“I want to appreciate our children who are here with us and are in high spirits. I want to make it very clear to all of us that from the very day that our children were unfortunately abducted from their school in the Kuriga community, the President has been with us.
“He ensures that the security should return our children home safely. I want to thank the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Service Chiefs and all security agencies for their respective contributions and organised efforts.
“I want to appreciate many Nigerians who prayed day and night for the release of the children, and today, God has answered our prayers.
“I also want to caution insecurity merchants and conflict merchants in Nigeria to be cautious with their utterances because, before the release of our children, a lot of people have been coming with a lot of permutations about how these children were released and what happened.
“The important thing for us in Kaduna is that the children are here with us; this is more important. As a government, it is to protect the life and property of our citizens., and under my government, Kaduna State will continue to prioritise our security, because security is the number one agenda of our government.
“We should not politicise the issue of insecurity in Nigeria; it is not good to undermine the efforts of security agencies in Nigeria.
“I want to caution the media and some elements in society about the permutation of the school children, in my own opinion it is just to celebrate their release.
“We are all happy because we had 16 days of sleepless nights, but today we are happy the children are back and I want to emphasise that we will continue to make security efforts, so that all our local government areas and communities are saved.”
