The Kaduna State Government has refuted claims suggesting that it has engaged a private negotiator to facilitate the return of school children abducted in Kuriga community, Chikun Local Government Area (LGA).
In a statement issued on Saturday, Muhammad Lawal Shehu, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Uba Sani, clarified that the state government has not entertained the idea of hiring a negotiator.
“We wish to state categorically that the Kaduna State Government did not hire any private negotiator, neither are we contemplating making such a move… The Kaduna State Government has a clear policy on non-negotiation with terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements,” Shehu emphasized.
“We urge members of the Press to be cautious in the way they craft and publicise their stories on security in order not to jeopardize the efforts of Government and security agencies in degrading criminal elements laying siege to our communities.”
The denial comes after Sani Abdullahi, a teacher at Government Secondary School, Kuriga, reported that 287 students were missing following a bandit attack on the community. Abdullahi disclosed during Governor Sani’s visit to the community that bandits stormed the primary and secondary schools around 8 a.m.
According to Abdullahi, 187 students from GSS Kuriga were presently missing, while initially, 125 pupils from the primary school were unaccounted for, with 25 later escaping and returning home.
Tragically, a member of the Kaduna State Vigilante Service was killed by the bandits during an attempt to confront them.
