Updated: Release of abducted Kagara students a rumour, says Niger gov

Niger State Governor, Abubakar Bello, has dismissed an earlier report of the release of 27 kidnapped students of Government Science College, Kagara, saying it is a ‘rumour’.

He, however, added that government was doing everything possible to ensure the release of the kidnapped students along with their teachers and others in the next “few days or hours”.

There were reports early Friday morning that the students had been released by their abductors to an Islamic scholar based in Kaduna State, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, after much persuasion by the Islamic cleric.

The students were said to have gained their freedom after Sheikh Gumi had met with the leader of the bandits identified as Dogo Gide and a truce was reached.

But Governor Bello, who spoke on Friday at the Government House in Minna, the state capital, shortly after meeting Sheikh Gumi, said, “Regarding the event of the past few days where we have two serious cases of kidnappings – the NTSA (Niger State Transport Authority) bus that was kidnapped (with passengers); and the second event took place at the Secondary School in Kagara, as at this moment, we do not have any additional information to give apart from the one given earlier on yesterday.

“But I want to assure you that we are doing everything we can; we are interfacing with the local communities; with federal authorities and our own state authorities to ensure that we recover the victims safely.

“Our utmost priority right now is to make sure we bring them back home safe and that is exactly what we are going to do. So, there hasn’t been any information I can give you at this moment but once we have anything for you, we will let you know.”

The governor, responding to a question on the purported release of the abductees, said, “Everything that is being said out there is rumour and in situations like this, we cannot work with rumour; it has to be confirmed. Yes, we’ve been receiving different rumours from different people within villages but we are still treating them as rumour until processed and confirmed.”

The governor also said the state government was ready to engage any actor willing to assist with the rescue of the abducted persons.

He particularly said that he was waiting to receive a “comprehensive” report from Gumi concerning his “findings”.

Meanwhile, pictures have surfaced online showing the meeting of the Islamic cleric with the bandits in the forest.

Gumi also reportedly confirmed the meeting on Friday and said it was positive,

Since January, Gumi has met with bandits in Kaduna and Zamfara forests in an attempt to broker a peace deal.

In Kaduna, over 500 bandits reportedly agreed to lay down their weapons after he struck a peace deal with them.

In Zamfara, Gumi reportedly told the bandits that they have legitimate concerns and that the federal government should look into ways of providing “reasonable” means of livelihood for them.