Kaduna Schoolchildren: It’s Not Important If Ransom Was Paid Or Not — Gov Sani

• Governor Uba Sani stresses the priority of safely returning abducted Kuriga students, deeming ransom debates irrelevant to the issue
• Despite recent speculations, the Defence Headquarters announces the successful rescue of abducted students from LEA Primary and Government Secondary Schools

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has emphasized that the debate surrounding the payment of ransom for the release of abducted Kuriga students is inconsequential. Speaking on Channel Television’s Sunday Politics, Governor Sani asserted that the paramount concern is the children’s safe return, irrespective of ransom considerations.

The abduction of schoolchildren from LEA Primary School and Government Secondary School, Kuriga, approximately four weeks ago captured national attention. However, the Defence Headquarters recently announced the successful rescue of the abducted students.

Addressing speculations regarding ransom payments, Governor Sani dismissed the relevance of such discussions, emphasizing that the crucial outcome is the safe reunion of the children with their families.

Governor Sani stressed the government’s discreet handling of the situation to safeguard the lives of the innocent children, avoiding actions that could jeopardize their safety. He lamented attempts by some individuals to politicize the abduction incident, underscoring the need to prioritize the well-being of the rescued children over sensationalized narratives.

He said: “What is more important today is that our children return home. Most of those permutations are not necessary. If your child is kidnapped, will you be sitting down and talking about how he was released?

“What is more important is that those children are back home. Their parents are extremely happy and what is important to them is to reunite with their children.

“But some people who have no business with the situation are coming out with some irresponsible permutations about whether ransom is being paid, whether someone had gone into the kinetic or non-kinetic approach. What is important to us in Kaduna is that the children are back home.”

The governor explained that the government handled the Kuriga schoolchildren abduction very discreetly, adding: “We tried as much as possible not to jeopardise the lives of the innocent children. Some people at some point wanted to politicize the whole incident.”

He said contrary to reports, 137 and not 287 schoolchildren were abducted on March 7, 2024, from Kuriga in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

“I don’t want to join issues with anyone regarding numbers. What is more important to me is the safe return of the children. Today, I am happy that they are back safely, in high spirits, but those numbers were just figments of some people’s imagination,” the governor stated.