Uncertainty has continued to trail the freedom of 317 kidnapped Government Secondary School Jangebe in Zamfara State with
conflicting reports on the fate of the abducted Jangebe students who were abducted by bandits.

While some security sources claim the abducted Jangebe students have been freed and were taken to a palace of a traditional ruler in Zamfara State, the state government has suggests there could be possible sabotage of the overall efforts of the state government to restore peace in the state.

Media reports had quoted security sources as saying that the Jangebe Students have been freed and were awaiting transportation to Gusau, the state capital, from the Palace of an undisclosed monarch in Zamfara State.

However, government sources insist that negotiations for their release were still ongoing with the bandits.

Jamilu Iliyasu Birnin Magaji, Press Secretary, Office of the Executive Governor in Gusau, said on Sunday, that “some online media outlets have claimed the release of the female students of Government Girls Science Secondary School, Jangebe from unsubstantiated sources.

“Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle Maradun and his aides have since Friday when the girls were abducted by gunmen not rested but been working round the clock making frantic efforts that will lead to the safe release of the victims and are not happy that someone who does not know the details of the situation will try to further hurt the victims’ parents, government and the security by ridiculing the effort with falsehood”, he spoke on the heels of the reported freedom of the abducted Jangebe students.

However, Governor Bello Mohammed Matawalle Maradun at a meeting with council of 17 Emirs who paid him a sympathy visit in the early hours of Sunday, hinted that there could be a possibility of government efforts to freedom the abducted Jangebe students.

But he assured the Council that in spite of everything, he will never stop the peace process his government has initiated with bandits, stating that it is still the best option for finding lasting peace in the state.

“Any sabotage to the efforts we are making in the state is sabotage to the efforts of the Federal Government.

“The world knows our boundaries and the world knows our successes’, Matawalle stated.

Nigeria Police Force had on Friday deployed its operatives and two surveillance helicopters in efforts to free the abducted Jangebe students.

Police spokesman, CP Frank Mba, had in a statement said the force was coordinating a search and rescue operation for the abducted 317 Jangebe Schoolgirls.

The operation involves the deployment of both ground and aerial assets, aimed at locating and rescuing the Jangebe students.

“To ensure the success of the ongoing operation, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP M.A Adamu, NPM, mni has ordered the immediate deployment of two (2) operational surveillance helicopters to Zamfara State.

“This is in addition to the personnel of Operation Puff Adder II earlier deployed to the State to support efforts by the Command to combat banditry, kidnapping and other related crimes.

“The IGP, while condemning the barbaric and callous abduction of the innocent female students, has assured that the Police and other security forces will not relent until the abducted students are successfully rescued and reunited with their families.

“The joint rescue operation is being carried out by the Police, the Military and other members of the law enforcement community with support from the State Government and other Stakeholders.

“The IGP has called for calm and enjoins members of the public, particularly the people of Zamfara State, not to hesitate in availing the Police and the law enforcement community with useful information that can assist in the rescue of the abducted school girls”, Frank Mba, the Force Public Relations Officer, Force Headquarters, Abuja, said.

The Jangebe students were abducted from their school in Zamfara State in the early hours of Friday, 25th February, 2021.

As at Friday evening, seven out of the 317 abducted female students were said to have escaped from the bandits. The seven Jangebe schoolgirls were said to have returned home after they claimed to have manoeuvred their way back from the bandits while trekking along the forest.

In the same vein, the Zamfara Police Commissioner, CP Abutu Yar, had affirmed that a joint search and rescue operation was ongoing with a view to rescuing all Jangebe students.

CP Yaro said the Force Commander Operations Hadarin Daji, Major General Aminu Bande, Brigade Commander, 1 Brigade, Nigeria Army, Gusau, and other state government officials led a heavily armed re-enforcement team to Jangebe to complement the rescue operation in the locations where the Jangebe schoolgirls were believed to have been whisked to.

Source: StreetReporters.ng