Abducted students of Government Science College, Kagara in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, have regained freedom.
It would be recalled that 42 persons were abducted by suspected bandits on February 17.
The students, who arrived Minna amidst tight security, were taken to the Niger State Development Company suite to freshen up before being taken to the Government House to be received by the governor.
The abductees on arrival were received by the Chief of Staff to the governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Balarabe, in Minna.
Journalists were barred from entering into where the victims were being kept.
On February 17, during the abduction, a school pupil was killed and 27 others were abducted around 3 a.m.
Three members of the school’s staff and 12 of their relatives were also abducted.
Buhari welcomes release of Kagara abducted students
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has welcomed the release of the abducted students.
The president, in a statement by his spokesman, Malam Garba Shehu, in Abuja on Saturday, commended the nation’s security and intelligence agencies and the government of Niger State for their responses in securing the release.
“We are happy they have been released,” he said.
Buhari also greatly sympathised with the staff and the students, their parents and friends on this ordeal.
He, however, warned that the country would not continue to suffer these attacks that threaten the growth of education, the security and life of the future leaders at the same time putting the nation in a negative light.
The president reiterated his earlier advice to school owners, particularly the state and local governments as well as religious organisations to scale up security around their schools.
He said this should be in line with the standards laid down by the UN-backed Safe School Programme of the administration.
Buhari, once again, condemned school abductions, with latest one at the Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe in Zamfara State.
According to him, he has since directed all security and intelligence agencies in the country to hunt down the culprits and bring them to justice.
