Politics
Gov Bello confirms negotiation for release of abducted Kagara students
The Niger State governor, Abubakar Sani-Bello, on Friday confirmed the negotiation between the state government and bandits over the release of the abducted students and staff of Government Science College, Kagara.
The governor, who confirmed the development in a state-wide broadcast, said the state government is in the final stage of negotiation for the release of the victims.
Armed bandits had in the early hours of Wednesday abducted 27 students and three members of staff at the college located in the Rafi local government area of the state.
The bandits reportedly killed one student during the attack on the college.
Sani-Bello said the government was interfacing with the federal, local government, and the state authority to rescue the victims.
READ ALSO: Niger releases names of abducted Kagara students, teachers
He said: “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 safe, things are speculated or rumoured, but we cannot work with these in situations like this.”
The governor disclosed that the state government was using kinetic and non-kinetic measures to ensure the students’ safe return and assured parents and families of the victims to be hopeful as everything possible was being done on the matter.
He said an Islamic scholar, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi, had offered to assist the government voluntarily in the ongoing efforts to rescue the students and staff of the college.
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