Nigeria: Governor Confirms Mass Abduction of Kaduna School Children, Pledges Their Safe Return

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Governor Uba Sani promises that the pupils would be rescued and reunited with their parents soon.

The Governor of Kaduna State, Uba Sani, says the security agencies are trailing the terrorists who on Thursday abducted scores of pupils at a public school in Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Sani promised that the pupils would be rescued and reunited with their parents soon.

The governor stated this during a visit to Kuriga, the community where the abduction took place.

An unspecified number of pupils and teachers were abducted on Thursday at a public primary school in Kuriga.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how gunmen invaded the school immediately after the morning assembly.

At least over 100 pupils and some teachers were abducted in the incident, a resident said, asking not to be named for security reasons.

Visit

Mr Sani, during the visit, assured the residents and parents of the abducted pupils that the government was on top of the situation and the pupils would be released.

He said he notified President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, about the incident before travelling to the scene of the attack.

He told the locals that the state government would not relent and the security forces had swung into action to rescue the pupils.

"We will do whatever we need to do to ensure the safe return of these children. They are my children also it is our responsibility as a government to ensure security," Mr Sani said.

The governor also directed the community to constitute a seven-member committee with the traditional ruker as head to provide daily updates while the security agencies carry out their responsibilities.

He also pledged to facilitate the establishment of a permanent security outpost in the community to prevent reoccurrence.

Kuriga is in the troubled Birnin Gwari axis where terrorists frequently attack vulnerable communities and roads.

Three weeks ago, a wanted kidnapper and ruthless killer, Isyaku Boderi, was killed by security forces in the area. It was not immediately clear whether Thursday's mass abduction was connected to his killing.

Mr Boderi allegedly led the 11 March 2021 abduction of 39 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, and the 24 August 2021 deadly attack on a campus of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA), both in Afaka, Igabi LGA of Kaduna State.

Mr Boderi was killed with some members of his gang in the Bada/Riyawa general area of Chikun and Igabi local government areas.

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