Nigerian Army pledges safe return of abducted Katsina school boys

The Coordinator, Defence Media Operation, Maj.-Gen. John Enenche

 Enenche said that the Nigerian Army had taken all the necessary brief from the operating agencies; and the government of Katsina State on the condition of the abducted students.

He said that the major concern of the security agencies was to ensure the safety of the children; while carrying out its operation with a view to rescuing them.

On the negotiation with the abductors by the state government, Enenche said that the Nigerian Army had no business with negotiation, saying it was within the powers of the governor to negotiate.

He said that while the state government was playing its part; the security agencies were committed to safe rescue of the children.

Enenche said that some abductees were still with the bandits based on the information from the state government and the school authority.

“Nobody is dead, we have not received anything that anybody is dead from the information that we have; monitoring the situation and then the troops are on guard as it were.

“They have started patrolling the whole of that area which I will not give you the specifics to ensure that they are intact and that we rescue them alive,” he said.

Enenche also dismissed the reported claim by the Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau that the school children were abducted by his men, observing that it was the usual propaganda of the terrorist group.

He said that the Nigerian Army had continued to record successes against terrorists in the north-eastern part of the country; and bandits in the north-western part with heavy casualties on terrorists’ side in the last two weeks.

The coordinator said that the military would sustain the tempo of its operations across the theatres of operations.