KATSINA: Talks with bandits won’t stop military operations, says DHQ

THE Defence Headquarters, on Monday, said the ongoing talks between Governor Aminu Masari and abductors of Kankara schoolboys would not stop it from continuing with its rescue operation.

The DHQ  noted that there  is hope in the ongoing rescue operations of 333 schoolboys abducted by bandits from Government Science School, Kankara, Katsina State.

Governor Masari had said the bandits have contacted his government and discussions were on pertaining to the safe return of the students.

He disclosed this during a meeting with President Buhari in Daura, yesterday.

But speaking on Monday night, Enenche said, “You don’t stop whatever efforts you are putting up militarily for what we call the non-kinetic (or) the other approach. No, you don’t stop, all of them go concurrently.

“For instance, if they (the students) are kept in a place that is known, if you relax, they will slip out. So, all actions are on the table to ensure that we come to a meeting point and the meeting point is to ensure that we don’t get collateral damage in our efforts to get them (the students) out.”

Enenche spoke while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today programme

He added that “the troops and other security agencies have been adequately deployed to ensure that they (the students) are rescued alive, that is the most important thing for us. And that is what we have for the general public that there is hope, we need them out alive.”

Bandits had stormed the school on Friday night and abducted the students after a gun duel with the police.

The ugly incident happened hours after President Buhari arrived in Katsina, his home state.

The reaction of the president, which many considered insensitive, has attracted condemnation from many Nigerians.

A picture of the president in his cattle ranch went viral yesterday. Many Nigerians criticised the president for visiting his cattle when he had not yet visited the school where the abduction of the boys took place