Fani-Kayode hails armed forces for rescuing 100 Niger schoolchildren, foiling Benin coup

File photo: Femi Fani-Kayode

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A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has commended Nigeria’s security forces, claiming they successfully rescued abducted schoolchildren in Niger State and helped prevent a military takeover in Benin Republic.

In a post on his X handle on Monday, Fani-Kayode said about 100 children abducted from a school in Papiri, Niger State, a few weeks ago were rescued by Nigerian security operatives.

The former minister also claimed that the Nigerian Armed Forces intervened to stop an attempted coup in the neighbouring country.

He wrote, “100 children that were abducted from their school in Papiri, Niger state by terrorists a couple of weeks ago were rescued by our security forces yesterday, whilst our Armed Forces saved democracy in Benin Republic by sending fighter jets to bomb the hell out of a group of mutinous soldiers who had staged a coup.’’

According to him, Nigerian ground troops were mobilised across land borders, with personnel reportedly drawn from army battalions in Ikorodu, Badagry in Lagos State and Owode in Ogun State.

He added, “Apart from bombarding the rebel forces via air operations, our ground forces were also mobilised across land borders, drawing personnel from army battalions in Ikorodu, Badagry, and Owode in Ogun State, to prevent the forceful takeover in Benin Republic, forcing the mutineers to retreat from strategic locations, including the national broadcaster and a major military camp where they had regrouped.”

PUNCH Online had reported that the Federal Government secured the release of 100 pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary School, Papiri, in the Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.

The development was reported by TVC News and Channels Television on Sunday, though federal authorities were yet to issue an official statement as of press time.

Gunmen had attacked the remote community on November 21, storming the school around 2 am on motorbikes and operating for nearly three hours.

They abducted 315 people, including 303 students and 12 teachers.

About 50 pupils managed to escape within the first 24 hours and were reunited with their families, leaving 265 victims in captivity.

The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, visited the school last week in Papiri, reassuring the school authorities and parents that the abducted children would soon return and were safe.

Olugbenga is a fine-grained journalist with over nine years of experience. He loves the smell of a good lead and has a penchant for finding out interesting good reports.

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