By Correspondent in Minna
Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state has vowed that his administration would do everything possible to bring to justice,anyone or group of persons found to have master-minded the abduction of 91 pupils of the Salihu Tanko Islamiyya School, Tegina in Rafi Local Government Area of the state.
Bello, who made the vow on Thursday when he received the pupils on arrival at the Government house, Minna, described the abductors of the children and their collaboratorsas ‘Sick Minds’ who must not go unpunished.
The Governor, who was visibly angered at the occasion,said that his administration would set machineries in motion to apprehend the perpetrators and bring them to book.
“Their action goes to show the sickness and madness in their head, for abducting the children, including a 3-year-old baby and keeping them for over 80 days.
“On our part as a government, we will do whatever it takes to bring the pepetrators to book and punish them accordingly.
“Contrary to general belief, only 91 and not 136 children were kidnapped and only one of them died in captivity. 90 are here safely
rescued.” he said.
Bello also explained that, two other abductees were freed along with the Tegnina school children, bringing the total of people rescued on Thursday to 92, adding that all of them had been medically examined and mostly found to be in good health condition except four of them that needed further medical checks.
While lamenting that targetting schools had negatively impacted on the state education sector, the Governor said the level of insecurity in the state had also affected school enrolment, noting that parents were now scared of sending their wards to school.
“The activities of armed bandits and kidnappers have negatively affected the entire education sector, they affect the morale and confidence of parents in sending their children to schools”, however, “we are on top of the situation to make our schools safe”.
