KATSINA: Rescuing abducted Kankara students will be ‘a simple task’ — Defence minister

THE Minister of Defence, Gen. Salihi Magashi (rtd), on Sunday, assured parents and relatives of the abducted students of Government Science Secondary School that rescuing their missing wards from the grasp of bandits would be a simple task

The minister, who said his optimism is predicated on reports from security agencies, stressed that the rescue mission would be accomplished ” within the next few hours.”

He gave the assurance in Katsina shortly before he led Service Chiefs to a closed-door meeting with Governor Aminu Masari.

The minister and the service chiefs were in Katsina on a sympathy visit over the abduction of the students on Friday by bandits.

Others in the entourage included the Chief of Defence Staff, the Chief of Air Staff, the Chief of Naval Staff, the Inspector-General— of Police, the DG, DSS and the DG, NIA as well as heads of security agencies in Katsina, including the Commissioner of Police.

The Defence Minister said from the briefings he was given by heads of security agencies on the ground, the rescue of the students was a matter of time.

He said, “With the brief we received from the sister security agencies in the state, this task will be very simple.

“Within the next few hours, we will ensure that these people are back without any collateral damage to the people of Katsina State we have strategised. We only need prayers.

“All hands are on deck to ensure that within the armed forces and the police the task will be accomplished.”

Governor Aminu Masari thanked the delegation for the visit, assuring that the state was making every effort to ensure the release of the students.

He said, “The children so far kidnapped cut across the state because the boarding school houses all children from all parts of the state and some even from outside the state. It (Government Science Secondary School, Kankara) has a population of 839 and so far, we are yet to account for 333 students.”

Meanwhile, protesters poured into the street of Kaduna yesterday demanding prompt rescue of the abducted students.

The Coalition of Northern Groups has also threatened to mobilise students and youths to go on protest in Katsina state if the abducted students were not rescued on time.

The chairman of the North-West zone of the group, Jamiu Aliyu who addressed a press conference in Katsina said, “We condemn in totality this barbaric act and call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the culprits, we equally stress the inability of the government to protect those young, innocent, vibrant students from this horrible attack as uncalled for. “Failure of the government to rescue the missing students within the shortest period of time, CNG will not hesitate to mobilize hundreds of thousands on the streets of Katsina state for a continuous protest, until the students are fully rescued, even if it’s going to cost our lives.”