*Receives rescued Kuriga students
*Teacher dies in captivity
By; FUNMI ADERINTO, Kaduna
Governor of Kaduna, Senator Uba Sani on Monday, cautioned the people of the state on how they publicize the issue of insecurities in the state.
His Excellency, Senator Uba Sani expressed this, while receiving the rescued students from Kuriga schools, alongside his Deputy, Dr Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe, the Speaker, Kaduna State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Yusuf Liman, and other senior government officials, welcomed the 137 Kuriga school children who were rescued after spending 16 days in captivity.
The governor was speaking at the reception of the 137 Kuriga school children on Monday at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim House in Kaduna.
General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Mayirenso Saraso formally handed over 131 (physically) of Kuriga school children, comprising 76 girls, and 51 boys, while six are on admission, to Governor Uba Sani.
“Our joy is that our children are back.
“A teacher, who was abducted alongside the Kuriga schoolchildren in Chikun Local Area of Kaduna State, died while in captivity”. He said.
The governor declared, “it’s only one person that has not returned, and that is the teacher. “That is the fact of the matter, but all of the 137 children are safely back.”
He said President Bola Tinubu has played a major role in organizing and supporting the entire security agencies in Nigeria to ensure the children are back from their abductors.
Governor Uba explained that all the school children abducted by the terrorists were rescued by the military, in collaboration with local authorities from neighbouring Zamfara State.
He regretted that the teacher could not make it alive, following health complications while in the hands of his abductors.
He thanked the National Security Adviser, Malam Nuhu Ribadu, all the Service Chiefs in Nigeria, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa and Core Marshal of Civil Defence all have their own contributions.
“It is an organized effort by all the security agençies and Nigerians, who have been praying day and night and today God has answered our prayers.”
He observed that when the incident happened, some of them have been very encouraging them with intelligence informations that is why they were there.
“I want to urge us to be cautious, since the return of children on Sunday evening when I visited them, a lot of people have been asking questions on how this children were released what happened.
“For us in Kaduna, what is more important to us is the safe return of our children. Today, the children are here, they will soon join their parents, families that is more important as the role is to protect lives of citizens of the state under my government.” he declared.
He said, security remains number one in their own agenda, because it is not politics.
” We have to be cautious, we should not publicise the issue of security in Nigeria, but any attempt to undermine the security in Nigeria in the name of politics is jeopardizing the lives of citizens,” he warned.
Uba Sani assured that they will continue to undergo psychosocial counseling and proper medical supervision for the meantime.
In his remarks, the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Mayirenso Saraso said both kinetic and non-kinetic approaches were adopted in the rescue operation of the children.
He recalled that on Thursday March 7, 2024, some Violent Extremists and Insurgents (VE/I) infamously called armed bandits invaded the LEA Primary School and the Government Secondary School both co-located at Kuriga, in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, where they criminally abducted several pupils and students, including a staff member of one of the two schools.
According to him, the sustained and coordinated application of both kinetic and non-kinetic efforts by the security agencies under the strategic guidance of the President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR through the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), paid off.
“The abducted Kuriga school children have in the early hours of yesterday Sunday 24th March 2024, been safely rescued after spending about 16 days in captivity.
“The students were initially received and administered first aid at the Nigerian Army Troops Forward Operating Base Dansadau, in Zamfara State before being served refreshment and subsequently conveyed from there under escort to Kaduna this morning/afternoon.
“In all, there were 137 children and one staff member making 138 persons altogether that were abducted from the co-located schools on the ill-fated day. But unfortunately the staff member, Mr Abubakar is not here with us today because he died while in captivity”.
“Consequently, there are here at present, a total of 137 students of the Govt Secondary and LEA Primary Schools Kuriga in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State who were successfully rescued from captivity around Dansadau Forest in Zamfara State and safely brought back to Kaduna.
“The breakdown of the figure of the rescued children shows that there are 76 Females and 61 Males making the total of 137 all together (less the teacher that died while in captivity)”. He explained.
He concluded, “on behalf of the entire rescue team, I wish to sincerely thank and acknowledge the support and strategic guidance of Mr President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR through the Honourable Ministers of Defence, NSA, the CDS and the Service Chiefs/Heads of other Security and Law Enforcement Agencies, and of course, not forgetting the Government and good people of Kaduna State as well as the General Officer Commanding 8 Division of the Nigerian Army who jointly and severally contributed in one way or the other towards the successful rescue efforts and safe return of the Kuriga School Children (without payment of ransom).
“I thank you all once again and God bless. Major General Mayirenso Lander David Saraso General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army/Force Commander Operation WHIRL PUNCH.”
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