The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has disclosed how the students of the Government Primary and Secondary School in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, were rescued from captivity.

The Star had reported that Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, announced the release of the abducted students in a statement shared on his X account in the early hours of Sunday, March 24, 2024.

The governor said the students, who were abducted by gunmen following an attack on the school on March 7, 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 Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, made this known via a statement issued on Sunday.

Buba said a total of 137 persons, comprising 76 females and 61 males were rescued in Zamfara State.

Kaduna gov: We’ll rescue abducted students safely

The defence spokesman noted that the students would be conveyed and handed over to the Kaduna State Government for further action.

He added: “Relatedly, it would be recalled that on March 21, troops equally rescued 16 pupils (Almajiris) with a woman taken hostage in Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State.

“These hostages were handed over to the Sokoto State Government.

“These efforts demonstrate the armed forces resolve to find other innocent hostages and track down the terrorists that perpetrated these crimes.

“These efforts would continue until other hostages are found and the terrorists arrested, tried, and brought to justice by Nigerian law.

“Troops are employing similar efforts to track down the culprits responsible for the killing of 18 soldiers in Okuama community in Delta State.

“Justice awaits the culprits, as they cannot go unpunished.”

While reports claimed that 286 students were abducted by bandits in Kaduna State before their release, Governor Sani had said the total number of those kidnapped was not ascertained.

Sani, on Sunday, also did not reveal the number of abducted victims released by the gunmen.

The Star