All Abducted Students Are Alive – Masari

Ganiyat Ganiyu

Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari, on Wednesday said that the kidnapped students of Government Secondary School, Kankara were alive and currently in a forest in Zamfara State.

Masari made this known in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service.

He said, “They (kidnapped schoolboys) are in Zamfara forests, we have got the information.”

The Governor who also appeared on Channels Television on Wednesday night said efforts were on to ensure that the students returned home safely.

He added that discussions were on with the suspected abductors through Miyetti Allah, to ensure the students’ release.

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He denied the claim by Boko Haram that it was behind the abduction, insisting local bandits roaming Katsina and Zamfara forests were responsible for it.

He said, “It is not true that two students died. I was in school on Saturday and interacted with some of the students who escaped. They did not say any student died.

“I also interacted with the two students who also escaped later; they did not tell me any of the abducted students died or were killed. The news of the death was speculative. The number of students we have yet to account for is 334, although some students have gone to their parents directly.

“We are discussing through the leadership of MACABAN, Miyetti Allah, with those suspected to have carried out the abduction, and I had a meeting with the Commissioner of Police and heads of security agencies two or three hours ago.”