- The victims were rescued in the early hours of Sunday in an operation that involved government agencies across the country
The Defence headquarters has shed more light on the operation that led to the rescue of schoolchildren kidnapped in Kaduna state earlier this month.
The military had on Sunday morning announced that it had rescue the children from their captors.
Providing more details on how the kidnapped victims regained their freedom, the military disclosed that the students from Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State were rescued in Zamfara State.
The Director of Defence Media Operations, Edward Buba, in a statement on Sunday, disclosed that 137 hostages were rescued.
According to him, the victims were rescued in the early hours of Sunday in an operation that involved government agencies across the country.
He said “It would be recalled that , on 7 March, 2024, troops received information that terrorists had invaded LEA School Kuriga in Chikun LG of Kaduna State. During the incident unconfirmed number of pupils were abducted. Following the incident, the military committed to leaving no stone unturned until all the hostages were rescued.
“Accordingly, in the early hours of 24 March, 2024, the military working with local authorities and government agencies across the country, in a coordinated search and rescue operation rescued the hostages.
“The hostages are same persons that were abducted from the school at Kuriga in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.
“The rescued hostages totalling 137 comprise of 76 females and 61 male. They were rescued in Zamfara State and would be conveyed and handed over to the Kaduna State Government for further action.
“Relatedly, it would be recalled that on 21 Mar 24, troops equally rescued 16 pupils (Almajiris) with a woman taken hostage in Gada LGA of Sokoto State. These hostages were handed over to the Sokoto State Government.
“These efforts demonstrate the armed forces resolve to finding other innocent hostages and track down the terrorists that perpetrated these crimes.
“These efforts would continue until other hostages are found and the terrorists arrested, tried, and brought to justice by Nigerian law.
“Troops are employing similar effort to trackdown the culprits responsible for the killings of 18 soldiers in Okuama community in Delta State. Justice await the culprits, as they cannot go unpunished.”