Shettima Visits Kaduna Over Kidnap Of 287 Pupils, Teachers (Photos)

Vice President Kashim Shettima, on Saturday, arrived in Kaduna State to assess the situation following the kidnap of 280 school children and teachers of the joint Government Secondary and LEA Primary School in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of the state.

On arrival, Shettima was received by the Governor of the State, Uba Sani; the Minister of Environment, Malam Balarabe Abbas; the Speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly, Yusuf Liman; and other senior government officials.

The Vice President, thereafter, commiserated with the governor and the people of Kaduna State over the sad incident.

Recall that the bandits had stormed the LEA Primary School, Kuriga, around 8.30 am on Thursday, shortly after the assembly gathering and abducted the pupils and some staff members of the schools.

See the photos below.

Kaduna Govt Denies Hiring Private Negotiator To Facilitate Release Of 287 Pupils

The Kaduna State Government has refuted a media report that it hired a private negotiator to secure the release of 287 primary school pupils.

The Chief Press Secretary to Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State, Muhammad Lawal Shehu, made this known in a statement seen by Naija News on Saturday.

It was earlier reported that the state government had reportedly begun negotiations for the release of the pupils and their teachers kidnapped on Thursday morning.

A source in the Kaduna Government House told The Punch that the state government had reached out to the bandits through a private negotiator for the release of the pupils and their teachers.

However, according to the statement released by the governor’s spokesman, the state government has neither hired a negotiator nor contemplated making such a move.

Shehu said the media report was capable of jeopardizing efforts made by the state and security operatives to ensure the safe return of the kidnapped children.