“We are negotiating with Kagara Schoolboys abductors” – Niger state govt confirms

The Niger State government says it is negotiating with the abductors of 27 students of the Government Science College, Kagara, their teachers and family members.

Bandits dressed in Military uniforms stormed the school on February 17, killing one student and abducting 27 others.

Benjamin .B. Habila, an SS3C student, was shot dead during attack on government science collage Kagara.

The school was invaded by bandits around 3am on Wednesday, February 17, abducting the 27 students and some of the staff. Habila was trying to escape before he was shot dead.

The state government has now confirmed that it is directly negotiating with the abductors. The Secretary to the State Government, Ahmed Matane, made this known during an interview with Thisday.

During the interview, the SSG said there is no time fixed for the abductees to be released because negotiation is still ongoing with the bandits who abducted them.

“If anyone tells you he knows when the schoolboys will be released that person is lying; it may be today or tomorrow; nobody can say; we are still negotiating.” he said

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Matane added that during the negotiations, the bandits presented their demands directly to the state government. According to him, the alleged high-handedness of men of the local vigilante was one of the reasons the bandits gave for taking up arms.

“They said that the vigilante members were killing their people and that government should stop this,” Matane said, adding that the bandits also complained of their neglect in the execution of the agricultural programmes of the government.