Kaduna gov: 137 students kidnapped, not 287

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, has debunked reports that 287 students of the Government Primary and Secondary School in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, were abducted by bandits in the state.

A teacher at the school, Sani Abdullahi, had said 287 students were missing after the attack on March 7, 2024.

The Star reported that Governor Sani, in the early hours of Sunday, March 24, announced the release of the abducted students, noting that they were released unharmed.

Speaking on the development, the Defence Headquarters said the abducted victims were rescued through coordinated search and rescue operations conducted by the military in collaboration with local authorities and government agencies.

The DHQ disclosed that a total of 137 persons, comprising 76 females and 61 males were rescued in Zamfara State.

However, Governor Sani, in an interview with Channels Television on Sunday night, said all the 137 students abducted by gunmen have been accounted for.

The governor said contrary to 287 being reported, 137 students were kidnapped from the school.

He stressed that the members of the community, who did not have the records of the school, released the number of the abductees to the media.

Military: How we rescued Kaduna students from captivity in Zamfara

Sani, who disclosed that the families of the abducted students confirmed 137 as the exact number of abducted students, said: “There was nobody who ever confirmed that the children were 287. Nobody came with a specific figure. I listened to most media coming up with figures.

“I knew at that time that the figures were not correct because I had been interfacing with the school authorities; we have the register and records in Kaduna. At that critical time, I don’t want to join issues with anyone in terms of numbers.

“Those numbers were just figments of some people’s imaginations, which they gave to the media. I remember when I visited the community on that very day, some people within the community who had no record just said that the figure was 287.

“At that time, as a leader, I should not bother myself about the figures or numbers; what is more important is the return of the children.

“I met the families of the children, and they confirmed to me that the number given by the military is the correct number.

“If you listened to what the Nigerian Army said, exactly 137 children were released. That is the number.

Governor Sani added only the teacher did not return because he was sick in captivity.

He said: “Sadly, one person had not returned. That is the teacher.

“We had an unfortunate incident – the teacher could not make it because he had some complications. He was sick, that is the information we got from the military. But the rest of the children, all of them have gotten back home safely.”

The Star