Thirty students abducted from the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri in Kebbi State have regained freedom.
This comes four months after bandits stormed the school and kidnapped an unspecified number of students and four teachers. The attack occurred in June.
Mr Yahaya Sarki, who is the Special Adviser on Media to Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi, confirmed the release of the students in a statement on Thursday.
“Today Thursday, the 21st of October 2021, thirty (30) students of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri have arrived Birnin Kebbi, the Kebbi State capital following their release while efforts are still continuing to secure the release of the remaining,” he said.
“They shall undergo medical screening and support while being reunited with their families. We thank all those who have helped in securing the release, while congratulating Mr President, Muhammadu Buhari, for the success.”
While authorities have yet to ascertain the exact number of those abducted by the bandits, some of the students and teachers have since regained freedom.
On June 17, Channels Television reported the attack on the school during which the assailants killed a police officer guarding the school.
Reacting to reports that the bandits who attacked the school used a police vehicle to kidnap about 50 students, the state command stated that the claims were false.
The Police Public Relations Officer in Kebbi, Nafi’U Abubakar, clarified that although the assailants carried out the attack using a stolen car, the vehicle does not belong to the police as claimed.
A Promise Fulfilled?
Giving an update on how the incident occurred, he said the bandits used a white Hilux van marked KBSJ 29 to convey their victims.
The vehicle, according to Abubakar, belonged to a high court judge in the state and was hijacked along the Birnin-Yauri Road.
Condemning the incident, the lawmaker representing Ngaski/ Shanga/ Yauri Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Tanko Sununu, said the attack on the school was a promise fulfilled by bandits.
“What really happened is that about two weeks ago, we had an episode when bandits residing within parts of the areas bordering Zamfara, Niger, and Kebbi came up through one of the villages in my constituency,” he said during the episode of Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily that aired on June 18. “They killed a policeman and found their way until they reached Ibeto area where we have a quarry, killed some security men and kidnapped some of the foreign workers in the quarry and left.
“10 days later, they came back to the same area and entered into my constituency bordering some villages, and they had more than a seven-hour field operation, going from house to house, room to room, collecting money, phones, cows, and any machine they deemed useful for their operations, and they left a message behind that they would soon be back.
“To fulfil their promise, yesterday, we had intelligence that they were on their way coming. Around 10:30 in the morning, they reached their final destination – the Federal Government College, Birnin-Yauri.”
