…as ACF calls for his probe
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State on Tuesday confirmed the release of the kidnapped students of Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe.
The girls were abducted on Friday by bandits who stormed their school on motorcycles and Hilux vehicles.
Confusion had trailed the release of the girls, as some online media on Monday reported that the abducted girls had been released. That turned out to be a hoax.
“Alhamdulillah! It gladdens my heart to announce the release of the abducted students of GGSS Jangebe from captivity. This follows the scaling of several hurdles laid against our efforts. I enjoin all well-meaning Nigerians to rejoice with us as our daughters are now safe,” the governor tweeted on his official Twitter handle on Tuesday.
The release of the girls came as the Arewa Consultative Forum called on the security agencies to investigate the governor to compel him to disclose the identities of those behind the kidnap of the school girls.
Arewa’s call followed reports on Monday that quoted the governor as saying that he knew the identities of the kidnappers and if he revealed their identity, Nigerians would be shocked.
Matawalle received the girls at about 5 am on Tuesday in Gusau, said the girls were returned safely without any ransom being paid.
“This is the result of our peace effort and putting to shame all those saying there is no security in this country.
“We have been in discussion since Friday with the abductors and reached an agreement on Monday by 4 pm that the girls were released.
“We are happy that all 279 have safely returned, they will undergo medical checks and given balanced diets to recuperate by the state government before they are handed back to their respective families.
“I want to appeal to parents not to remove their children from school as a result of this, we will ensure additional security in all the schools.
“We thank all media outlets for their support throughout these trying times,” the governor said.
The ACF said in a statement on Tuesday, issued by its National Chairman and former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe, that Mutawalle must stop embarrassing the north and the country with careless statements on a serious issue like the kidnappings of school children.
“The Arewa Consultative Forum ACF is stunned by a statement credited to the Zamfara state Governor, Bello Mutawalle.
“The governor is reported in the media to have told 17 Emirs who paid a sympathy visit to him on the kidnap of 317 schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School Jangebe in Talata Mafara that he knew the identity of the kidnappers and if he revealed their identity, Nigerians will be shocked.
“We ask the governor to reveal their identity and let Nigerians be shocked or even the heavens fall.
“We also ask the security agencies to question the governor on the identifies of criminals he is trying to hide. If he refuses to disclose their identities, he must be treated as an accomplice to the criminal act of kidnapping.
“The ACF has been embarrassed by the spate of kidnappings especially of school children spreading like wildfire all over the north.
“People in positions of authority that will help us out of this mess like Governor Mutawalle must stop embarrassing the north and country with careless statements on a serious issue like the kidnappings of school children.
“Zamfara State and the north are way behind the rest of the country in educational development. The serial kidnappings of school pupils in the north will only worsen a bad and unacceptable state of education in the North,” ACF Chairman said.
