Katsina abduction: 2 students killed by kidnappers

[Edoman]

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Governor Bello Masari

 Katsina abduction: 2 students killed by kidnappers — Escapee

[color=var(--atc)]Katsina abduction: 2 students killed by kidnappers — Escapee[/color]


 DECEMBER 15,

…Masari briefs Buhari, says talks on with kidnappers of Kankara schoolboys
…Abduction confirms service chiefs not in charge — Northern elders
…It’s wake-up call to rejig security apparatus — Middle Belt Group
…Top operatives don’t want the insecurity to end — JNI
…Another outrageous tragedy of worsening insecurity—NLC
…Thugs disrupt CNG’s security summit in Kaduna
By Victor Young, Johnbosco Agbakwuru, Bashir Bello, Joseph Erunke, Peter Duru, Ibrahim HassanWuyo, and Luminous Jannamike

A grieving mother yesterday said one of the abducted students of Government Senior Secondary School, GSSS, Kankara who escaped from the kidnappers has disclosed that two of his colleagues had been killed, and that the abductors feed them with leaves and beat them like cattle.

She also said the student told them that students still missing were over 500, adding that whoever said the number of missing children is 10, is a liar.


The woman, Hajia Faiza Kankara, who spoke to Vanguard said the escaped student stated this while giving an account of his ordeal in the hands of the captors.


Her words: “My son, Usman Tahir is in SS2 class. He is still missing. One of the students who returned  Sunday night said they were 520; that includes two that were killed and himself, who escaped.”

This is as Katsina State Governor, Aminu Bello Masari yesterday, briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on progress being made to rescue the schoolboys kidnapped from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, in the state.


A statement by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said the governor disclosed that the kidnappers had made contact, when he visited the President at his Daura country home.


This came as Northern elders, again expressed concern over the worsening security situation in the region, saying Friday’s attack on GSSS, Kankara, had further confirmed their position that the region is now at the mercy of terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.

The elders, under the aegis of Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development, noted that the continuous stay in office of the service chiefs, whom they noted, have been exhausted with nothing more to offer in security service, was emboldening the adversaries in their increasing dastardly actions against the country.


Meanwhile, Middle Belt Movement for Justice and Peace, MBMJP, has decried the abduction of the students, as a wake-up call on the Federal Government to immediately rejig Nigeria’s security apparatus.

This came as a religious organisation, the Jama’atu Nasril Islam, JNI, said that there are insinuations that for pecuniary benefits, some top echelon among the security operatives don’t want the state of insecurity in the country to end.


In another development, thugs wielding dangerous weapons invaded the Arewa House, Kaduna, yesterday, where they ran after officials of the Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, who were there for a security summit.


Shehu in the statement, said “We are making progress and the outlook is positive,” the governor told newsmen after an hour meeting with the President, which started at 2p.m.

The governor, who according to the statement was accompanied by the Deputy Governor of the state, Manir Yakubu, said: “The kidnappers had made contact and discussions are already on pertaining to safety and return to their homes.”


Masari also noted that security agencies had located the position of the children, adding that the President is fully committed to the rescue of the school children, as it was only appropriate to visit the President and give him more details of rescue efforts.

2  students killed by abductors— Escapee
Recounting what the escaped student narrated, Hajia Faiza Kankara said the boy told them that the bandits feed them with leaves and beat them like cattle.

She also said the student told them that students still missing were over 500, adding that whoever said the number of missing children is 10, is a liar.


Her words: “My son, Usman Tahir is in SS2 class. He is still missing. One of the students who returned  Sunday night said they were 520; that includes two that were killed and himself, who escaped.

“So whoever, said that the missing children were 10 lied. “Today (Monday), another child just returned and he is being interviewed in the principal’s office. So we are waiting to hear what the situation is with the missing children over there. Although, when he returned, one of the security personnel who brought him back said 15 more were on their way before dusk.


“We appeal to President Buhari and Governor Masari to come to our aid and rescue our wards. We cannot sleep and cannot eat,” the grieving woman said.