Abducted Schoolboys Freed as Boko Haram Releases Video

Abducted Schoolboys Freed as Boko Haram Releases Video

Katsina State Government says all the abducted over 300 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, have been freed. The students were abducted from their school last Friday by unknown gunmen. Special Adviser to the Katsina Governor on Security, Mr Ibrahim Katsina, confirmed the release of the students to PUNCH on Thursday. He

Katsina State Government says all the abducted over 300 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, have been freed. The students were abducted from their school last Friday by unknown gunmen.

Special Adviser to the Katsina Governor on Security, Mr Ibrahim Katsina, confirmed the release of the students to PUNCH on Thursday.

He said the students were freed on Thursday at Tsafe, about 82.5km via road from Kankara town where they were abducted.

Earlier, video of the abducted students surfaced with the victims urging Nigerian authorities to withdraw forces on rescue mission and close down schools.

In the footage obtained by PRNigeria, the relatively older schoolboy who spoke in English and Hausa urged the Nigerian Government to settle amicably with the abductors and advised against the use of military force in rescuing them.

“Dan Allah, you have to dissolve (sic) any gang of vigilantes and close any kind of schools excluding Islamiyya,” he said.

As the camera beamed on the abducted students, one of the captors was heard in the background saying that the aim of the video is to show the Katsina State Governor that the students are all fine.

The voice of the older student which returned immediately after continued: “All the Armies that have come here to help us please send them back, they can do nothing to help. Please sir, you have to send all the Army, the Soldiers and these Jets back, please sir, we need your assistance please,” he pleaded

However, a credible intelligence source told PRNigeria that the attack on the school was carried out by a group of armed gangs contracted by Boko Haram terrorist group.

“The group who carried out the attacks were specifically hired by Boko Haram to carry out the abduction.

“The gang were in the process of transferring the kidnapped boys to the custody of Boko Haram but could not do so due to heavy security presence around the route.

“That was why they used the boys to make that video urging us to withdraw our forces.”

The source however said that the Military are not on an offensive in the area but are just carrying out routine air surveillance and ground patrols for protection of lives and properties.

A close examination of the video by PRNigeria shows the clip was not shot in the typical pattern of the Boko Haram terrorist group.

Usually, Boko Haram will have their flags at the background and armed terrorist will be seen standing behind the abductees.

Further examination reveals that the voice of the abductor heard in the background of the clip is not a typical tonation of the Kanuri ethnic stock who are predominant in the Boko Haram movement as the accent sounded more like that of local Fulani.

On December 11th Nigeria’s President, Muhammadu Buhari, flew off to take a holiday at his country home in Daura, Katsina State.

That night hundreds of gunmen riding on motorbikes stormed a boarding school in Kankara, also in Katsina state. Some schoolboys jumped over a fence and ran away when they heard gunshots. But more than 300 were rounded up and herded into the surrounding forest

Boko Haram has claimed that the armed group was responsible for the abduction of hundreds of the students from an all-boys school.

Meanwhile, the Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG), has demanded the rescue of abducted students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State.

They however shelved their plan to protest in Daura to register their concerns with President Buhari who is in the town on a weeklong visit.

National Coordinator of the Coalition, Balarabe Rufa’i explained that instead, the CNG is using the occasion to launch the #BringBackOurBoys struggles that would go on ceaselessly until all the abducted children are returned alive and safe.

Speaking at a press conference in Katsina, the state capital, the group described the abduction of the children as a total weakness of President Buhari’s administration and his failure to protect the lives of all Nigerians.

They also called for the unconditional resignation of all the Service Chiefs.

While explaining the reason why they shelved their protest plan to Daura, the group said it is as a result of concerns raised by the security agencies in Katsina State.

They added that the prevailing tense atmosphere across the state may not guarantee a peaceful ending to the protests considering the crowd likely to be involved.

CNG said further that their last consideration is that the Katsina Government has given assurances that having developed contact with the abductors, it will within the shortest possible time secure the release of the children, an effort that should not be jeopardized at this point.

The CNG had earlier on Wednesday planned to stage a protest to Daura.

The spokesperson, Abdulazeez Suleiman vowed that the protest will be indefinite until the students are rescued.

He said that the protest will kick off in Katsina, the state capital on Thursday and will then proceed to Daura to register their concerns with President Buhari who is in the town on a weeklong visit.

National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr Uche Secondus on Thursday led a protest demanding the rescue of the abducted students.

Tagged #BringBackOurBoys, the protest was held at the PDP liaison office in Maitama.

The protesters who include young boys and women displayed placards with various inscriptions condemning the abduction and the failing security situation in the country.

They insisted that the Buhari-led administration must rescue the boys from their captors, and reunite them with their parents.

 

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