How repentant bandits assisted in rescue of 279 schoolgirls – Zamfara Gov.

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle has revelled how repentant bandits in the state assisted in the rescue of the abducted Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe students.

The governor stated in Gusau the state capital Tuesday morning at about 5am that the 279 girls were returned safely without paying any ransom which the repentant bandits were highly instrumental.

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State says repentant bandits in the state assisted security agencies in the operation that led to the rescue of the Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe schoolgirls.

The governor, who received the girls at about 5am on Tuesday in Gusau, said the 279 girls were returned safely without paying any ransom.

Gov Matawalle

The Governor said: “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 agreement on Monday by 4pm 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 Released Schoolgirls

Matawalle congratulated parents of the victims and Nigerians for the safe return of the girls.

The 317 girls were last Friday abducted from their dormitories in Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe Zamfara State.

In the words Hafsatu Anka, one of the victims, who is an SS II student, while speaking in a tearful ladden voice, said they were laid in trenches littered with human faeces.

She said: “We saw other people, including women and children and father of one of our school mates, who had been in the den for three months.

“They walked us on foot where some of us got dislocated on their foot.

“They would pray as Muslims, but never allowed us to pray and they fed us with rice in which they put sand after cooking.”

It will be recalled that Gov.  Matawalle had on  Sunday revealed that the state knew those behind the kidnapping in the state.