Remaining Niger State Schoolgirls Will Be Rescued Soon, Information Minister Pledges

Laleye Dipo in Minns

The Minister of Information, Alhaji Mohammed Idris Malagi, has given the assurance that the remaining school children and their teachers abducted from their school in Papiri Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, would be rescued soon and reunited with their parents.

Idris gave the assurance in Minna yesterday, when he paid a sympathy visit on the Niger State Governor, Alhaji Mohammed Bago, over the abduction of the St Mary’s Catholic Primary/Secondary School two weeks ago.

Some 100 out of the 259  children had been rescued and we’re received  by Bago on Monday before they were reunited with their parents in Papiri yesterday’s evening.

The Minister said the federal government “is committed to restoring peace and security in parts of the country” bedeviled by insecurity as a result of bandits and terrorists attacks.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is working seriously  to ensure speedy recovery of the remaining school children and their teachers in captivity.

“The president is working with sub-nationals and international organisations to ensure that challenges of insecurity across some parts of the country are tackled.”

He described the abduction of the children and their teachers as “a call for deep and sober reflection”, pointing out that the issue of security should be a collective responsibility of all stakeholders.

Earlier, Bago had called on Nigerians to ensure that democracy was sustained in the country, adding that Nigerians must be patriotic and love one another irrespective of religion and culture for democracy to thrive in the country.

The governor expressed gratitude to the minister for the visit and also appreciated the collaborative efforts between the federal and the state governments in rescuing the abducted school children of St. Mary’s Catholic School.

Bago reassured them that by strengthening such collaborations, including all critical stakeholders, the remaining abducted school children would be rescued in no distant future.