The government of Kaduna State has reportedly opened negotiations for the release of no fewer than 287 abducted pupils and teachers of the Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School, Kuriga 1, in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
A highly placed source in the Kaduna State Government House, who is close to the negotiations told the Punch that the state government had reached out to the bandits through a private negotiator (names withheld) for the release of the pupils and their teachers.
The private negotiator is a highly influential negotiator who has been involved in negotiating several abductions with bandits in the past.
Bandits had stormed the LEA Primary School, Kuriga, around 8.30 am on Thursday shortly after the assembly gathering and abducted the pupils and some staff members of the schools.
It was learnt that the secondary school was relocated to the primary school premises as a result of insecurity in the area.
Governor Uba Sani, who visited the school on Thursday, gave an assurance that the abducted pupils would be rescued unhurt.
Sani while addressing the community members said, “In my capacity as your elected governor, I am assuring you that by the grace of God, all the children will return unhurt.”
The source also said, “The military has begun combing the forests in search of the children kidnapped by the bandits. Security agents have cordoned off the area and they have started searching for the abducted pupils.
“The government is doing all it can for the speedy release of the abducted school pupils.
“The government has established contact and reached out to the bandits for negotiation through a popular bandit negotiator. The negotiator was the one who worked for the return of some of the students abducted some years back.
“He (the negotiator) had negotiated the return of so many abductees in the past. He negotiated the return of those students abducted in Katsina State years back.”
