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SocialMediaTrends: #OurBoysAreBack but are facts adding up? Twitter Nigeria reacts

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We will never go back to school, Freed Katsina schoolboys vow while narrating experience

Discussions on social media Friday covered a range of issues sequel to the release of abducted school boys in Katsina state, which had caused Nigeria a week of tension.

These issues received massive engagements across social platforms for the most part of the day.

#OurBoysAreBack

The Katsina state governor, Aminu Masari, on Thursday night announced the release of no fewer than 344 school boys abducted last Friday by suspected bandits from a Government Science Secondary School in Kankara Local government area of the state.

Masari had disclosed that the students were freed in Zamfara state and were transported from Tsafe town in Zamfara to the Katsina government house, where they reportedly arrived on Friday morning.

Many Nigerians on social media bursted into jubilation as they hoisted the above hashtag on Twitter, over what was considered a huge relief to the country which was yet to recover from the November 28 Zabarmari massacre of 43 rice farmers by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State before the abduction incident struck.

The circumstances surrounding the release of the school boys were however considered controversial, and raised heated debates across social media platforms on Friday.

Nigerians found disturbing the arbitrary role of the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) in the release of the boys from the bandits, as the Katsina state governor had stated during an interview with DWTV Hausa on Thursday night.

Read Also: SocialMediaTrends: How Nigerians marked Buhari’s birthday, Miyetti Allah as ‘4th arm of govt’ & more

Twitter Nigeria also addressed the Federal government’s denial that any ransom was paid to secure the release of the boys and that Shekau Abubakar, Leader of Islamic Terrorist Sect, Boko Haram was responsible for the kidnap.

Recall that Shekau had on Tuesday claimed responsibility via audio tape, of the mass abduction and even released a video of the children in Boko Haram’s custody.

But the conflicting indices have raised suspicion as to the authenticity of official reports by government, causing “Miyetti Allah” and “Shekau” to trend simultaneously especially on Twitter.

Nigerians reacted thus:

…By Okiemute Abraham

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