Katsina State Government has secured the release of nine Nigerien citizens from bandits. This brings to a total of 190 rescued victims of kidnap after the government rescued the 344 schoolboys of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara.
Governor Aminu Masari, who restated his administration’s commitment while receiving the victims, at the Government House, promised to secure the release of all abducted persons.
The rescued victims comprise of four males, four females, and a child, who were abducted, nine days ago, at Bima Area, in the Niger Republic, when bandits in their numbers, attacked the community.
Speaking while receiving the victims from the security agencies, Governor Masari attributed the effort to the professional conduct displayed by security agencies.
He debunked reports making the rounds that ransoms were paid to secure the release of all the 190 victims and plans by the government to enter into another dialogue with the bandits.
“We are not dialoguing with the bandits under any condition, all we are trying to do is to make sure we secure the release of those that have been kidnapped with zero payment,” Masari said.
The victims will be taken to a health facility to undergo a medical examination, eat food before being taken back to the Niger Republic.”
Two among the rescued victims, 65-year-old Usman Shuaibu and 25-year-old Issoufu Adamu, thanked God, the Katsina State Government, and the security agencies, for their release.
“We were abducted on Saturday about nine days ago when we were deep asleep. At about 1:00 am, I heard a knock on my door, what I saw after was a gun being pointed at me by a kidnapper. He started abusing and beating me, and before I came out, I couldn’t see anything with my eyes, so I became unconscious. I spent nine days in their hands,” Shuaibu echoed.
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Issoufu Adamu also narrated how he was abducted.
“I returned from the market that Saturday and was feeling dizzy, so I slept but suddenly, I was asked to get out by the bandits. They attacked me with a gun. I quickly came outside when I saw my dad equally been overpowered at gunpoint. They gathered us all outside and directed that we should all follow them to their hideouts,” Adamu said.
(Editor: Abaje Usekwe)
