Days ago, residents in Zamfara were full of worry and sorrow after shooters ambushed a boarding school in the region, kidnapping the students. The incident was tragic to the residents who pledged with the state authorities to help rescue their children. The state government urged the people to remain calm as the government did its best to solve the situation.
Sources reveal that the incident had equally impacted the students who were now scared of going back to school. Recalling the gunmen forcefully taking girls out of their hostel completely freaked them out. Therefore the students have called on the government to advance security in the region before going back to school.
Kidnap Victims Freed
On Tuesday, State officials of Nigeria announced that the gunmen had released 279 school girls after endless negotiations. Zamfara State governor, Alhaji Bello, reported that they had confirmed the girls’ health condition and they were fine. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari was pleased over the release and glad that the students were in good health. He vowed to enact stricter legislation against kidnappers.
“I stand with the affected families and the people of Zamfara State in welcoming and celebrating the release of the abducted students Jangebe. This news brings great joy. I am happy that their situation has ended without any tragic incident. We are working hard to halt these heartbreaking incidents of abductions. The Military and the Police will keep on going after the kidnappers. They need the help of local communities in terms of human intelligence that can help nip criminal plans in the bud.”
Following the release, officials stated that they could not rely on the initial police report that 317 were kidnapped. The reasoning being the number was no longer accurate.
Insecurity in Northern Nigeria
The raid on the girls’ school was the second to occur in the region within a week. Boarding schools have been a new target for armed rebels in rural areas. The attackers tend to take advantage of the abductions by demanding ransoms or asking the government for favors. Amid the kidnapping, authorities have been negotiating deals with the rebels. For instance, when 344 schoolboys have abducted in a school neighboring Katsina, the authorities had to negotiate an agreement before the students were freed.
Nevertheless, sources have reported that authorities have denied paying ransome to secure release amid the recent attacks. Despite the claim, analysts think otherwise. Meanwhile, chances are rebel attacks will surge in the coming weeks considering the rural regions are easily accessible.
Mr. Buhari was elected President of Nigeria in 2015, a year after mass kidnappings occurred in Chibok, where Boko Haram, a jihadist group in northern Nigeria, abducted 276 girls. Since the incident transpired, over a hundred of the girls are still missing. There is no accurate data on how many of them are alive. Their families have pledged for help to a point where they’ve learned to help themselves. However, the Nigerian President promised the people to do everything to end the conflict in the northeastern region.
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