At least 300 students whose abduction had been claimed by the jihadist group Boko Haram were released by their captors in northwestern Nigeria, local authorities in Katsina state said on the evening of Thursday, December 17. It was the Nigerian security forces who took it upon themselves to bring them back, piled into trucks, staring blankly, tired. “Three hundred and forty-four of them are in the hands of the security forces and will be transferred to Katsina tonight,” said state governor Aminu Bello Masari. “They will receive care before being returned to their families,” he added.
A little earlier, a security source nevertheless told AFP that some students were still in the hands of their captors. “The bandits have just abandoned them in a forest area after receiving the ransom they demanded,” a source said on condition of anonymity. Information denied for the moment by the governor of the state of Katsina.
Relief
Shortly before, an adviser to the president had announced the release of the students, without however specifying the exact number or the conditions. “It is a huge relief for the whole country and the international community,” President Muhammadu Buhari tweeted.
I welcome the release of the kidnapped students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara. This is a huge relief to the entire country & international community. The entire country is grateful to Governor Masari, the Intelligence Agencies, the Military and the Police Force.
– Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) December 17, 2020
Hundreds of minors, college and high school students were kidnapped Friday evening by armed men, nicknamed “bandits” in this region of Nigeria. They were kidnapped from Kankara State High School for Boys, in Katsina State, in an abduction later claimed by the jihadist group Boko Haram, usually active in the northeastern part of the country, hundreds of kilometers further away. to the East.
“No one can give the exact number,” a security source told AFP. The released high school students are currently grouped together in the town of Tsafe, in Zamfara state, and in the neighboring town of Yankara, in Katsina state. “We will have the precise figure when they arrive and are counted in Katsina [capitale de l’État éponyme] “, Added the same security source.
Northwest Nigeria, a new challenge
This mass kidnapping has been claimed twice by Abubakar Shekau, the leader of Boko Haram, first on Tuesday, then Thursday, through a video in which several dozen children appeared watched by armed men. His face covered in dust and scratched, a young boy explained that he was one of 520 students kidnapped by “the Shekau gang”, named after the historic leader of Boko Haram.
Their exact number remained unclear, the authorities announcing earlier 333 students missing, then 400 Thursday morning. In this video, Boko Haram affirmed, through the voice of this young boy of about 14, that they were 520 in their hands, and that some had been killed. The children, for the most part very young, appeared at the end of their rope.
The video, broadcast through the group’s traditional channels, was recorded partly in English, then in Hausa, spoken in particular in northern Nigeria. A man posing as Abubakar Shekau then played a voice mail message in which he said, “These are my men and these are your children. ”
Boko Haram but also armed groups
According to information from Agence France-Presse, this mass kidnapping was coordinated by gang leader Awwalun Daudawa in collaboration with two other renowned bandits, Idi Minoriti and Dankarami, armed groups which terrorize populations in the north-west of the region. Nigeria, and carry out kidnappings for ransom and cattle rustling. According to several testimonies from young boys who managed to escape, the hostages were divided into several groups on the evening of their kidnapping.
According to a security source familiar with the matter, the high school students who appeared in this video were those detained by Awwalun Daudawa, who responds directly to orders from Boko Haram, the others may be released following negotiations between the kidnappers and the local government. This attack, which rekindled memories of the kidnapping of more than 200 young girls in Chibok in 2014, was a snub for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, from Katsina state where he was celebrating his 78th birthday on Thursday.
The presidency issued a statement on Saturday condemning the attack on “innocent children”. The head of state also promised to strengthen security in schools, closed in several states in the north of the country since Wednesday because of rampant insecurity. But the president had not made any statement since the demand for the kidnapping by the jihadists on Tuesday, and his spokespersons referred the journalists to the local authorities. Boko Haram and its dissident branch, the Islamic State in West Africa (Iswap) group, active in northeastern Nigeria, have killed more than 36,000 in ten years of conflict and two million people still cannot not return to their homes.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
