Abducted Kagara students: Niger Gov, Sani-Bello provides update

The Niger State Governor, Abubakar Sani-Bello has debunked rumour making the rounds on social media that the 27 students and 3 teachers abducted on Wednesday morning at Government Science College, Kagara have been released.

The governor made the clarification on Friday while addressing newsmen in Minna, the State capital.

Governor Bello noted that he was in the last stage of negotiations with the bandits, promising that the victims would be released soon.

“At the moment, there is no additional information apart from the one we have at hand. Our priority is to make sure we bring back the students safely, things are speculated or rumoured, but we cannot work with these at situations like this,” he said.

The governor noted that the state was using kinetic and non-kinetic measures to bring back the children to safety and assured parents and families of the victims to be hopeful as everything possible was being done.

There had been earlier report that a Kaduna based popular Islamic cleric, Sheik Ahmed Gumi, said that the kidnapped students and others abducted in Niger State will soon be released.

The cleric gave the assurance after meeting with the bandits in the forests between Tegina in Niger State and Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State.