Kaduna State Government has denied hiring a private negotiator to facilitate the return of school students kidnapped in the Kuriga community, Chikun LGA.
Gatekeepers News reports that a section of the Media (Gatekeepers News not included) had claimed a “highly placed source” in the State Government House informed them that the Government reached out to the bandits through a private negotiator for the release of the pupils and their teachers.
Denying the report in a statement on Saturday by Muhammad Lawal Shehu, Chief Press Secretary to the State Governor Uba Sani, the Government reiterated its policy on non-negotiation with bandits.
“We wish to state categorically that the Kaduna State Government did not hire any private negotiator, neither are we contemplating making such a move. The Kaduna State Government has a clear policy on non-negotiation with terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.
“We urge members of the Press to be cautious in the way they craft and publicise their stories on security in order not to jeopardize the efforts of Government and security agencies in degrading criminal elements laying siege to our communities.”
The bandits invaded the Government Secondary School and LEA primary school in the Kuriga area of the Chikun Local Government Area (LGA) of Kaduna on Thursday. The secondary school was relocated to the primary school on account of the insecurity in the council.
Sani Abdullahi, a teacher at Government Secondary School Kuriga, narrated how over 280 students and teachers were kidnapped by bandits.
“At GSS Kuriga, 187 students are presently missing. In the primary school, 125 pupils were initially missing, but, 25 of them escaped and retired home,” he said.
According to him, “over 280 pupils and teachers were taken away.’’
