There are 287 pupils in captivity, according to Sani Abdullahi, a teacher at the Government Secondary School (GSS), Kuriga in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
As previously reported by The Bureau Newspaper, on Thursday morning, terrorists broke into the school and took instructors and students hostage.
“We became lost and had no idea where to go. The terrorists then demanded that we enter the jungle, and since they were numerous and the students—roughly seven hundred in number—were after us, we complied. Thus, I was fortunate to escape with a large group of people when we got into the bush. I went back to the village and told everyone what had happened.
Thus, the terrorists were promptly pursued by our vigilantes and KADVIS employees; however, the vigilantes were not successful; in fact, one of the vigilantes was killed by the terrorist, and we just buried him.
“We briefed the Village Head upon our return from that pursuit and then began our investigation to determine the precise number of students and teachers abducted by the bandits.” There are currently 187 missing pupils at GSS Kuriga. Initially, 125 students at the elementary school went missing, but 25 of them managed to get away and went back home.
“In my capacity as your elected Governor, I am assuring you that by the grace of God, all the children will return unhurt,” the governor declared, addressing the community. I had a conversation with Malam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser (NSA), prior to my arrival. Together, we are working hard, the security forces have taken initiative, and with God’s blessing, we will succeed in rescuing the children.
“We are prepared to go to Kuriga and stay with you if necessary in order to guarantee the safe return of these youngsters. The defense of people’s lives and property is the fundamental function of government. We understood that, with God’s grace, we would uphold the rights of the people for whom we are holding this position in trust. One of the well-known voices on the subject of security is mine. I made the motion to establish the State Police when I was a senator.
We feel that if there were a State Police, every town, including Kuriga, would have members who would be armed with AK-47 rifles since we have realized that there are not enough boots on the ground. We could only be able to safeguard residents’ lives and property in this manner. Since the vigilantes lack an AK-47, the robbers have greater weaponry than the vigilantes, which is why the bandits are always wreaking havoc on our property. Their intentions are to kill, humiliate, and kidnap our folks.
“Every child in Kaduna state is my child, thus ever since I learned of this tragic tragedy, I have not been able to sleep at night. I therefore don’t want any of you to feel unsettled. Let’s ask God for assistance, and as a government, we will not stop working until these kids get back home. We are going to pick seven members of this community to serve on a committee and hold conversations there.
In addition, the governor pledged to build a military barracks and police station in the area.
