By Abdulmumin Giwa
Kaduna state governor Uba Sani has said that the 287 number of school children said to have been kidnapped by gunmen at Kuriga, Kaduna state was a figment of the imagination of some people, while announcing that only 137 were actually kidnapped.
“I don’t want to join issues with anyone in terms of 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 spirit, but those numbers were just figment of some people’s imagination,” the governor stated.
Sani stated this on Channels television’s ‘Sunday Politics’ program, while while announcing that all the schoolchildren abducted by the marauding bandits have been rescued by the military in collaboration with local authorities from neighbouring Zamfara State, where the hostages were taken to by their abductors.
It would be recalled that the school children were abducted from LEA Primary School and Government Secondary School, Kuriga, about four weeks ago.
Earlier, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) had on Sunday announced that a total of 137 students were rescued, contrary to the reports that 287 children were abducted by the bandits.
Governor Sani said the number released by the military was the authentic figure, describing ‘287’ as a figment of some people’s imagination.