‘We will never go back to school’, — Freed Katsina schoolboys narrate ordeal

By FRANCIS SARDAUNA

Some of the abducted 344 students of Government Science Secondary School who regained freedom on Thursday night from their abductors, have vowed not to return to school until adequate security measures are put in place by the state government.

The students, who spoke in an exclusive interview with THISDAY in Government House on Friday, also urged Governor Aminu Bello Masari to relocate the school to Kankara town.

The schoolboys who were freed from captivity arrived Katsina State Government House Friday morning.

They were driven into the Government House in a convoy escorted by the 17 Brigade Commander, Brig-General WB Idris and other top security operatives.

One of the students, Yusuf Suleiman, SS1, said lack of adequate security in the school was responsible for their abduction by the bandits.

He said: “We suffered in the hand of the bandits and for me, I will not return to the school again because it has no security and it is located at the outskirt of Kankara town”.

Another student, Abdulmajid Umar, called on the state government as a matter of urgency to relocate the all-boys secondary to Kankara town to avoid reccurrence of the incident.

Umar, a JSS3 student, said: “It will be difficult for us to return to the school. Most of us have agreed not to go back to the school again. We will seek for transfer to other schools within Katsina metropolis”.

Earlier, the Commander of the 17 Brigade, WB Idris, who handed over the students to Governor Masari, said the schoolboys were rescued by the combined team of security operatives in the state.

“We are here this morning (Friday) to formally hand over the 344 students of Government Science Secondary Kankara that were rescued from the bandits yesterday night (Thursday)”, he said.

While receiving the 344 students, Governor Masari, said they would be taken to hospital for examination to ascertain their health status before they will be reunited with their parents.

He assured that his administration would continue to give ultimate attention to security of lives and property of the citizenry, adding security is everyone’s responsibility. (THISDAY)