KATSINA: All abducted Kankara students alive in Zamfara forest – Masari

• Says Miyetti Allah helping with negotiations
• Debunks claim that two students had died

GOVERNOR Aminu Masari of Katsina State has insisted that bandits, not Boko Haram, are behind the abduction of the Kankara schoolboys.

He said this to debunk the claim of Abubakar Shekau, a factional leader of the terrorist group, in a recording that his group was responsible for the kidnapping of over 300 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara last Friday.

Giving an update on the efforts to secure the release of the boys, in an interview with BBC Hausa, Masari said, “They (kidnapped schoolboys) are in Zamfara forests, we have got the information.”

The governor also reiterated this in his interview with Channels Television’s Politics Update on Wednesday night, adding that discussions were on with the suspected abductors through Miyetti Allah, to ensure the students’ release.

He said, “It is not true that two students died. I was in the school on Saturday and interacted with some of the students who escaped. They did not say any student died.

“I also interacted with the two students who also escaped later; they did not tell me any of the abducted students died or were killed. The news of the death was speculative. The number of students we have yet to account for is 334, although some students have gone to their parents directly.

“We are discussing through the leadership of MACABAN, Miyetti Allah, with those suspected to have carried out the abduction, and I had a meeting with the Commissioner of Police and heads of security agencies two or three hours ago.”

The governor pointed out that his administration would not pay ransom for the release of the students.