…no ransom paid to secure freedom – Borno, Katsina governors
All abducted schoolboys of Kankara Government Science Secondary School have been released, Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina said on Thursday.
According to him, the boys are presently kept safe in Tsafe, a local government area in Zamfara State.
Masari gave the number of freed students as 344, more than the 333 he said were abducted initially.
But one of the boys captured said they were 520.
The unidentified boy said some of them had died, in the firefight between the military and the Boko Haram terrorists.
Gov. Masari noted that the boys would be brought back to Katsina, the state capital on Friday.
He said that arrangements had been made for their medical treatment, adding that government did not pay ransom for the release.
In a video released Thursday by Boko Haram, one of the students pleaded with government to negotiate with the terrorists.
He urged government not to send the military to free them.
The boys were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists from their school in the night of 11 December, after a gunfight with police guards.
The AK47 gun wielding terrorists stormed the school on auto-bikes.
The kidnap triggered a national outrage against the Buhari administration.
It also triggered fresh calls for the sack of service chiefs, who have overstayed their tenure in office.
On Monday, Governor Masari said the abductors had made contacts.
“The abductors of our Children have made contacts with the Government and talks are ongoing to ensure their safety and return to their respective families.
“The security agencies deployed for rescue operations have also informed us that they have located their position”, he tweeted.
Following the release of the students, the Governors of Zamfara and Katsina states have also been talking on the process that led to their freedom.
While Governor Masari spoke to the Hausa service of a German radio station, Radio Deutche Welle, the Zamfara State Governor spoke in an interview with Daily Nigerian.
The two governors were emphatic that no ransom was paid to secure the release of the students.
They also agree that contrary to the claim of the insurgent group in a video releases hours before the students were freed, Boko Haram was not behind the abduction of the students, but bandits.
According to them, Miyyeti Allah Cattle Breeders Association of Nigeria (MACBAN) played a key role in securing freedom for the students.
Specifically, Masari told Radio Deutsche Welle, DW that MACABAN negotiated with the bandits to get the schoolboys released and no single Kobo was paid as ransom.
He also insisted that the schoolboys were not abducted by Boko Haram, but bandits.
He said, “Some hours ago, those assisting us in talks with the bandits said they have released all children in captivity. About 344 of them. And we have sent vehicles to transport them to Katsina.
“We will direct our doctors to carry out medical examination on the children tomorrow morning. They have spent six-day in the forest. We will change their clothes and we will hand them over to their parents,” Masari said.
Speaking in the same vein, Zamfara Governor said he facilitated the release of the 344 schoolboys without payment of ransom.
Governor Matawalle told DAILY NIGERIAN, that he used repentant bandits and leadership of Miyetti Allah to identify those behind the abduction, and then started the negotiation process.
“When we established contact with them, I persuaded them to release them unharmed. And so they did tonight. This is not the first time we facilitated the release of our people without payment of ransom.
“Ask anybody, we don’t pay bandits a dime. What we do is to extend olive branch to them because they also want to live in peace.
“As I speak to you, they are still on their way to Tsafe, from where they will come to Gusau and sleep. They will begin their journey to Katsina tomorrow morning,” the governor said.
“Nothing like Boko Haram in this. The bandits did it,” the governor said while disputing the claim of Boko Haram that it was behind the abduction.
The two governors did not speak on the video that circulated Thursday, in which the students pleaded for their freedom.
Abubakar Shekau also spoke in the video and claimed that his men abducted the schoolboys.
