Katsina Abduction: Bandits Have So Far Released 17 Kidnapped Students – Gov Masari

Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari has revealed that bandits have released 17 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, who were kidnapped on Friday night.

KanyiDaily had reported how dozens of GSS boarding students were abducted by bandits on Friday night, December 11, 2020, less than 24 hours after President Muhammadu Buhari arrived Katsina for a week long private visit.

Speaking in an interview with Deutse Welle Hausa Service in Katsina on Monday, Governor Masari said he had just be informed that 15 students were found in Danmusa Local Government Area while security operatives said they found one of the students in the forest.

The governor also said that one of the parents of the kidnapped student had confirmed that his son had returned home.

While pleading for the understanding from the parents of the kidnapped students, Masari said since the incident occurred, soldiers and other security operatives are in the forest trying to ensure that the other students are rescued.

“Our major concern is to see that they are free and unhurt. We are still pleading for the understanding from the parents of the kidnapped students and Nigerians that we are not resting on our oars,” he said.

On the claim that the government had started negotiating with the bandits, Masari said that so far, they have no direct link with the bandits expect the conversation the bandits had with one of the parents.

“We were told that the bandits asked for ransom but they did not state how much. They also warned that security officials should stop hovering around with their aircraft,” he said.

The Katsina governor also said that from intelligence reports, the bandits are now in Zamfara forest with the kidnapped students.

KanyiDaily recalls that on Sunday, Governor Masari, confirmed that 333 of the 839 pupils of the school are still missing after the invasion.

Meanwhile, a student of the attacked Katsina School who escaped from the bandits’ hideouts, has claimed that two of his colleagues have been killed.