Kagara Abduction: Four Bandits ‘Swapped’ With Freed Victims

Sources familiar with the release of students and staff of Government Science College Kagara in Niger State abducted by bandits has disclosed the agreement between the state government and the bandits leading to the release of the abductees.

The sources which spoke with DailyTrust on Sunday noted that officials of the state government agreed to release four members of the bandits’ gang before the release of the students and staff of the government school.

Recall that bandits on February 17 invaded the school located in Rafi Local Government and abducted 27 students, 3 teachers, two non-teaching staff and 9 family members of the staff.

Naija News had earlier reported that the victims were released on Saturday to a team of police and other security agents around 7 am on Saturday.

The victims who were received by Governor Abubakar Sani Bello on Saturday recounted their harrowing experience in the hands of their abductors.

Sources that spoke with the news platform noted that the bandits who operate between Birnin Gwari in Kaduna State, and Rafi Local Government in Niger State, had demanded the release of six members of their group arrested at different times by security agents.

Four of the six named persons were identified in different detention facilities in Katsina, Kaduna and Niger states.

The Commissioner for Information in the state, Muhammad Sani Idris, said no ransom was paid for the release of the victims, he added that there was no prisoner swap as strategies were deployed for the release of the students.

A source, however, noted that two of the persons identified were released to the bandits before the students were set free.

“The process to perfect release of the other two was being concluded,” the source disclosed Saturday afternoon.

It was gathered that the bandits kept the victims deep in the forests, making it difficult to reach them with ease.

“One of the bandits used in reaching out to the group had to ride on a motorcycle for nine hours to go and meet the Kachalla (leader) of the kidnappers. The Kachalla was persuaded to allow the victims to be set free even though not all the persons they wanted out from detention were released.”

“Between the leader was and the location they hid the victims it was another long journey. It was therefore difficult even more for the abductees who had to trek for many hours to freedom,” the source said.