Emmanuel Onani and Baba Negedu 
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has announced the rescue of 137 pupils of LEA School in Kuriga, Chikum Local Government Area of Kaduna State, who were abducted by terrorists on March 7. The development comes three days to the deadline given by the abductors for the payment of N1billion to secure the victims’ freedom from captivity. A statement signed, yesterday, by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj-Gen Edward Buba, said the schoolchildren comprising 76 females, and 61 males were rescued in the early hours of March 24.
He further disclosed that the hostages, who were rescued in Zamfara State, will be handed over to the Kaduna State government for necessary action. The senior officer explained that the military-led exercise had the support of local authorities, as well as government agencies. “Following the incident, the military committed to leaving no stone unturned until all the hostages were rescued. “Accordingly, in the early hours of 24 March 2024, the military working with local authorities and government agencies across the country, in a coordinated search and rescue operation rescued the hostages.
“The hostages are same persons that were abducted from the school at Kuriga in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State. “The rescued hostages, totalling 137, comprise 76 females and 61 males. They were rescued in Zamfara State and would be conveyed and handed over to the Kaduna State Government for further action,” Buba said. He recalled that on Mar 21, troops rescued 16 pupils (Almajirai) with a woman taken hostage in Gada LGA of Sokoto State, adding that the victims were handed over to the Sokoto State Government. “These efforts demonstrate the armed forces resolve to finding other innocent hostages and track down the terrorists that perpetrated these crimes.
“These efforts would continue until other hostages are found and the terrorists arrested, tried, and brought to justice by Nigerian law,” he added. President Bola Tinubu reassured that his administration has commenced deployment of requisite strategies to ensure that schools remained safe sanctuaries of learning, not lairs for wanton abductions. The President gave this assurance yesterday while responding to the news that the school children abducted by terrorists in Kuriga, Kaduna State have regained freedom.
The President who stressed the importance of collaboration between the Federal Government and states for expected outcomes, especially on matters of security, commended the National Security Adviser, the security agencies, and the Kaduna State Government for the dispatch and diligence with which they handled the situation, noting that incipient urgency, meticulous attention, and tireless dedication were critical to optimal outcomes in cases of mass abductions.
According to a release by his spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, Tinubu also welcomed the release of pupils of a Tsangaya school in Sokoto State, commending all the parties to the feat for their valiant effort. Meanwhile, the Kaduna State Government has announced the release of pupils and teachers of Kuriga Primary School and the Junior Session of the Kuriga Secondary School in Chikun Local Government Area of the state. This was made known in a statement in the early hours of yesterday signed by the State Governor, Uba Sani, in which he thanked President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for their effort.
