137, Not 287 Schoolchildren Abducted in Kuriga-Gov. Uba Sani

Basking in the euphoria that greeted the release of the victims of the March 7, 2024 mass abduction in Kuriga, Kaduna State, the state Governor, Senator Uba Sani, on Sunday, punctured the widely held notion that 287 school children were kidnapped by bandits on that fateful day.

Speaking on Channels Television’s flagship politics programme, Sunday Politics, Governor Sani declared categorically that 137 school children, and not 287, were abducted by bandits who invaded their schools in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of the state, on the fateful date.

“Those numbers were just figments of people’s imaginations,’ Sani told the programme’s anchor, Seun Okinbaloye. “They just went to the media and reported those figures.”

Continuing, he said: “I met with the families of the children, and they confirmed to me that the numbers given by the military are the correct number.

“Today, I am happy. The families are happy, and the state government is happy.”

He, however, revealed that all the kidnapped children, 137 of them, were successfully rescued by the military, in cooperation with local authorities from Zamfara State.

Sadly, the teacher abducted with the children was not so lucky. He died in captivity due to some yet-to-be disclosed health complications.

On Sunday, Nigerians woke to the good news that all the students kidnapped by bandits from the Government Secondary and Primary Schools, Kuriga 1, Chikun LGA of the state, on March 7, 2024 had been rescued unharmed after spending 17 days in captivity.

Bandits had the invaded the schools during the assembly session, in the morning of March 7, 2024, and abducted the 137 school children, though the media widely reported 287.

Governor Sani broke the good news himself through a statement he issued early Sunday morning, thanking Almighty Allah for the success of the operation that led to the release.

Though he did not give details of the rescue operation, the jubilant governor said the children were unhurt and profusely thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the feat. He was also full of praises to the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu for his active role in effectively coordinating the strategies and operations of the security agencies, resulting in the safe rescue of the children.

Here is the full text of Governor Sani’s statement:

In the name of Allah the Beneficient, the Most  Merciful, I wish to announce that our Kuriga school children have been released.

Our special appreciation goes to our dear President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR for prioritizing the safety and security of Nigerians and particularly ensuring that the abducted Kuriga school children are released unharmed.

While the school children were in captivity, I spoke with Mr. President several times. He shared our pains, comforted us and worked round the clock with us to ensure the safe return of the children.

Special mention must also be made of our dear brother, the National Security Adviser, Mal. Nuhu Ribadu for his exemplary leadership. I spent sleepless nights with Mal. Ribadu finetuning strategies and coordinating the operations of the security agencies, which eventually resulted in this successful outcome.

The Nigerian Army also deserves special commendation for showing that with courage, determination and commitment, criminal elements can be degraded and security restored in our communities.

We also thank all Nigerians who prayed fervently for the safe return of the school children. This is indeed a day of joy. We give Almighty Allah all the glory.

Senator Uba Sani,
Governor, Kaduna State.
March 24th, 2024.