Female Students Kidnapped by Bandits in Kaduna Escape from Captivity

John Shiklam in Kaduna

Eight female students kidnapped by bandits in Kaduna have escaped. The schoolgirls attend the Government Secondary School, Awon, in Kachia Local Government Area of Kaduna.

The bandits abducted them on April 3.

The Kaduna government announced the news of their escape on Tuesday in a statement by Samuel Aruwan, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs.

According to the statement, the female students escaped from a thick forest bordering Kaduna and Niger states and trekked for days before arriving at an undisclosed location where they hid.

Intelligence sources subsequently alerted the Kaduna government for immediate evacuation, added the statement.

Upon receiving the intelligence report, Governor Nasir El-Rufai directed the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs to liaise with the One Division of the Nigerian Army in Kaduna to evacuate the students to the Kaduna metropolis to prevent the abductors from recapturing them.

“The students, according to preliminary briefings, escaped from a thick forest around the Kaduna-Niger interstate boundaries and walked for days before arriving at a location (kept undisclosed for security reasons) where they were harboured,” stated the Kaduna government.

It added, “Human intelligence sources subsequently alerted the Kaduna State Government for immediate evacuation. Governor Nasir El-Rufai, on receipt of the intelligence, directed the Ministry of Internal Security and Home Affairs to liaise with the 1 Division Nigerian Army for urgent evacuation of the students to Kaduna Metropolis, as it was credibly gathered that the terrorists were combing forests in the area to recapture the students.”

The students were safely evacuated to a military facility receiving medical attention.

“Meanwhile, Governor El-Rufai has expressed his delight over the development and has praised the students for demonstrating sheer courage and resilience in making their escape from captivity,” the statement noted.

El-Rufai admonished the traumatised schoolgirls “to view the horrific experience as a turning point and pursue their education with renewed vigour for a purposeful future.”

“The governor also commended the General Officer Commanding (GOC), 1 Division, Major General OT Akinjobi, for the prompt evacuation and the ongoing medicals being conducted on the students,” the statement added.