BREAKING: Abducted Kagara students, others regain freedom

Twenty-seven students and 15 workers of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State have been released.

A highly-placed security source told The PUNCH that the abductees were on their way to Minna from around the Birnin Gwari area of Kaduna State.

As of the time of sending this report at 11 pm, the state Governor, Sani Bello, top officials of the state government were at the Government House Minna awaiting the arrival of the abductees.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Niger governor, Mary Noel-Berje, also confirmed their release to Premium Times on Sunday evening.

The PUNCH reports that bandits, donning military uniform, had around 2 am on Wednesday invaded Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State, and whisked away 27 pupils and 15 staff members after killing a Senior Secondary School 3 pupil.

The incident has created nationwide agitation and worries over the safety of the kidnapped pupils and school staff members, who were whisked away into the bush by the bandits.

In an interview on Saturday, Gumi, who has been in talks with the bandits in the forest, told Sunday PUNCH that there was a possibility that the abductees might regain freedom today, given ongoing talks between the government and the bandits.

The cleric, who recently held a parley with some bandits in Zamfara State forests and consequently called for amnesty for bandits, told one of our correspondents that the negotiation for the release of the schoolchildren and members of staff was slowed down due to logistics.

According to Gumi, the negotiation does not involve payment of ransom.