Controversy yesterday trailed the actual number of schoolchildren abducted by bandits in Kuriga, Kaduna State on March 7, 2024.
Contrary to the 287 children widely reported by the media when the incident occurred, the state government has said only 137 were kidnapped and that all of them have been released.
Nigerians woke up yesterday morning to the cheering news that 137 of the 287 children had been rescued by troops in Zamfara State where the bandits had held them for 18 days.
The figures released by one of the teachers, who escaped the attack, showed that 187 students of the secondary school and 125 pupils of the primary school in the same area were kidnapped from the school.
The teacher said, “At GSS Kuriga, 187 students are at present missing. In the primary school, 125 pupils were initially missing, but 25 of them escaped and returned home.”
A resident, Shitu, confirmed the incident, saying most of the pupils ran out of their classes when they sighted the bandits at the school premises.
Another resident, Lawal Kuriga, also told journalists that the abducted victims were marched into the forest.
One of the teachers of Government Secondary School, Kuriga, Sani Abdullahi, narrated how bandits invaded the joint secondary and primary and whisked away about 280 pupils and teachers.
He told the story when Governor Uba Sani, led senior government officials and security top brass visited the scene of the kidnap on March 7.
The teacher said: “I resumed school today (March 7) at exactly 7:47am. I entered the acting principal’s office and signed. All of a sudden, the acting principal asked me to look at my back and when I turned, we discovered that bandits had surrounded the school premises.
“We became confused, we didn’t know where to go. Then, the bandits asked us to enter the bush, so we obeyed them because there were many and the pupils/students who were about 700 were following us. So, when we entered the bush, I was lucky to escape alongside many other people.
“So, I returned to the village and reported what happened to the community. So, immediately our vigilantes and personnel of KADVS followed the bandits, but the vigilantes did not succeed; in fact, the bandits killed one of the vigilantes. We just buried him.
“It was when we came back from that pursuit that we briefed the village head and we started making efforts to know the actual number of pupils and teachers taken away by the bandits.
“At GSS Kuriga, 187 students are at present missing. In the primary school, 125 pupils were initially missing, but 25 of them escaped and retired home,” he said.
But yesterday, Governor Uba Sani, said only 137 students were abducted and all of them had been released.
The governor, who appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme last night, said all the 137 school children abducted on March 7, 2024 from the Chikun local government area by marauding bandits had been rescued by the military in collaboration with local authorities from neighbouring Zamfara State, where the hostages were kept by their kidnappers.
He said Kaduna-based Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, was not involved in the rescue of the abducted Kuriga pupils, though the cleric had offered to negotiate with bandits for their release.
Sani added that no ransom was paid.
He said, “All those speculations you are hearing today are figments of some people’s imagination. I can tell you that without any fear of contradiction. There was nothing like Gumi in this operation. I can tell you. I won’t undermine the efforts of our Armed Forces.”
The governor also said contrary to reports, 137 schoolchildren, and not 287 schoolchildren, were abducted from the LEA Primary School and Government Secondary School, Kuriga, about three weeks ago.
The Defence Headquarters said 137 students were rescued, contrary to reports that 287 children were abducted by bandits.
The governor said the number released by the military is the authentic figure, describing 287, as a figment of some people’s imagination.
He said, “I don’t want to join issues with anyone in terms of numbers. What is more important to me is the safe return of the children. Today, I am happy that they are back safely, in high spirits, but those numbers were just figments of some people’s imagination.
“Today, I met with the families of the children and they confirmed to me that the numbers given by the military was the correct number,” he added.
The governor, however, lamented that a teacher who was kidnapped alongside the pupils couldn’t make it out alive as he developed some complications while in captivity. He commiserated with the family of the deceased teacher and consoled the families of the released schoolchildren.
He said, “It’s only one person that has not returned and that is the teacher. That is the fact of the matter, but all of the 137 children are safely back. We had the unfortunate incident that the teacher couldn’t make it because he had some complications; he was sick — that was the report we got from the military and the security agencies but the rest of the children, all of them are back with us.”
Meanwhile, the released children and teachers are undergoing medical checks at Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, Kaduna.
A source told LEADERSHIP on condition of anonymity that the schoolchildren were first taken to 1 Division Nigerian Army before moving them to the hospital for medicals.
The source said, “When the security operatives picked them from Zamfara State they first brought them to 1 Division Nigerian Army before taking them to Barau Dikko Teaching for medical checks.”
DHQ Says Its Troops Were Aided By Local Authorities
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has said its troops in collaboration with local authorities have rescued 137 out of 287 school children abducted at Kuriga in Chikun local government area of Kaduna State.
The director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said the schoolchildren, comprising 76 female and 61 male, were rescued Sunday morning at a location in Zamfara State.
Their release comes 18 days after their abduction but the authorities did not mention if ransom was paid to secure their release.
Terrorists had on March 7, 2024 invaded LEA School, Kuriga, in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State and abducted 287 schoolchildren, comprising pupils and students in the joint primary and secondary school.
According to the statement, the military worked with local authorities and government agencies across the country in a coordinated search and rescue operation to retrieve the hostages.
“The hostages are the same persons that were abducted from the school at Kuriga in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.
“The rescued hostages totaling 137 comprise 76 females and 61 male. They were rescued in Zamfara State and would be conveyed and handed over to the Kaduna State Government for further action,” he said.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Abbas Tajudeen has hailed the efforts of President Bola Tinubu in the release of the students abducted in Kuriga community of Kaduna State.
Since the unfortunate incident, efforts had been on to ensure their safe release, and the combined efforts paid off as Governor Sani announced the release of the students, saying none of them was hurt.
According to a statement by the special adviser on media and publicity to the Speaker, Musa Krishi, said Abbas was visibly elated on hearing the news, adding that Tinubu is living up to the task of protecting the lives and property of Nigerians.
I Could Hardly Sleep Or Eat While My Daughter Was In Captivity – Father
One of the community leaders and a parent who holds the traditional title of Tafida Kuriga, Jubril Gwadabe Kuriga, whose nine year old daughter was among those rescued said it was difficult for him to sleep or eat while she and others were still in captivity .
Gwadabe, who spoke with newsmen shortly after a meeting with governor on Sunday, said parents were traumatized, and that some may have died while their children were in bandits’ captivity.
He recalled how he used to wake up in the middle of the night to cry because of the unknown condition of his daughter.
According to him, “We were traumatized throughout the period of the absence of our children. Our children were away in the bush, with no food, and no good water.
“Let me tell you, sometimes at 12 o’clock, 1 o’clock in the night, I would wake up, I would just be crying, thinking how she is. Has she eaten?
“I was always playing with her at home but with her absence now I was feeling very bad. They said all the children are back; that is what they said, but seeing is believing.
“There is a woman whose four children were among the kidnapped pupils. She could not eat, she could not sleep.
“If I can even tell you, some parents died within the period the children were with kidnappers. I cannot tell you the number of those who died. But I believe some are dead.
“The government called us and informed us that the children are with them. That is the true story, but we have not seen them yet.
“They promised us by tomorrow (Monday) they will hand over the children to us. Each student or child will be handed over to the parents. We are feeling happy because it is not easy missing your child for this long period,” he narrated.
AANI Urges Rescue Of Others Held Since 2014
The Alumni Association of the National Institute (AANI) has commended the successful rescue of the Kuriga schoolchildren from the clutches of bandits and called on the relevant authorities to ensure the rescue of the remaining schoolchildren held since 2014.
A statement by the president of AANI, Ambassador Emmanuel Okafor, commended the bravery of all the security forces involved for ensuring the safe return of the innocent children.
The alumni body particularly commended President Tinubu for his unwavering dedication and leadership style which paved the way for the rescue operation.
He further urged the government to expedite efforts to secure the release of all individuals held in captivity by terrorists and bandits since 2014.
Northern Elders, Arewa Youths, Media Group Excited
Expectedly, the rescue of the Kuriga schoolchildren has generated excitement across Nigeria.
The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) expressed joy at the safe return of the abducted Kuriga school children, saying the news brings a ray of hope amidst a dark period for the community.
A statement issued by the spokesperson of the forum, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, said: “As elders, we welcome the children back with open arms, but also emphasize the urgent need for proper medical and shock checks as they reintegrate into society.
The forum emphasized that while the group celebrates the return of the abducted Kuriga schoolchildren, it must also recognize it as a wake-up call.
NEF urged the government and relevant authorities to work closely with them in ensuring that children can go to school without fear, saying the safety and well-being of children must always be a top priority.
“The return of the Kuriga school children stands as a testament to the resilience and strength of our community. Let us use this moment to unite and actively work towards safer conditions for our children and our communities,” he said.
On its part, the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (AYCF) described the news of the release of the children of the Kuriga school as a welcome development.
The president-general of the forum, Alhaji Yerima Shettima in a press release, averred that the abduction of the children and some of their teachers was a devastating one because the children were subjected to a traumatic experience when the bandits stormed their school in the early hours of 7th March, 2024 and marched them into the forest in Kaduna State only for them to be rescued in Zamfara State.
Shettima had, upon the abduction of the school children, lamented that the abduction of school children had now become a common occurrence in Northern Nigeria and that it posed a serious threat to education in the region.
He however commended the collaborative efforts between the government, security agencies, and local communities that ensured the rescue of the children, adding that such collaborative efforts should be sustained particularly in preventing such occurrences in the future.
For the Muslim Media Watch Group of Nigeria (MMWG), the federal government must intensify efforts towards rescuing the remaining 150 Kuriga students from their abductors.
This is even as the group praised Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State for his efforts which made it possible for the Nigerian Army to succeed in securing the release of 137 out of 287 kidnapped Kuriga students.
The MMWG made the call in a statement signed its national coordinator, Ibrahim Abdullahi, and secretary, Dr. Nasir Balogun.
The group also commended the national security adviser, Mal. Nuhu Ribadu for his wonderful role on the matter as well as the Nigerian Army for their efforts so far.
The group, however, warned of the danger posed by the delay in recruitment and training of more policemen as well as more personnel for other security agencies, pointing out that Nigeria is bigger than the current low figure of security personnel serving it.
