Niger Governor Bago sues for calm over abduction of Catholic School students, assures of safe return

Niger State governor, Mohammed Umar Bago has sued the people of State to be calm and law abiding over the abduction of 303 students and 12 teachers of St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of the state.

He said security agents are unrelentless and assured that the abductees would be safely rescued.

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He made the call when he joined the live TVC News at 10 at night to give an update on the incident and monitored by CAPITAL POST correspondent in Minna on Monday.

He explained that based on the Google imagery being reviewed, the incident was more of a scare and missing of people rather than a kidnapping.

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“Yes, there was a scare, sporadic gunshots, and the children ran because they were targeted. And from the Google imagery, there was no mass movement of people, but people running up and down”, he said.

He revealed that some of the children have been found and reunited with their families, adding that efforts are being intensified to find the rest soon.

Bago stressed that the incident was avoidable, explained that it is not the time for a blame game but to correct all mistakes, get the children back, reunite them with their families, and forge ahead.

He also observed that it was quick to have concluded that it was a case of abduction and for any figures to have been revealed.

He again applauded the federal government for tremendous support, especially in terms of personnel and equipment to aid in surveillance and rescue operations.

While speaking on the security of the Kainji forest, the farmer governor said it is time to deforest the area and crop it, noting that the entire Kainji forest is about 600,000 hectares with 98 dams and a lake, hence a good potential for food security and sovereignty.

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