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Gov Matawalle Speaks On Paying Ransom For Release Of Zamfara School Girls

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Freed Zamfara School girls
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The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle has revealed that no ransom was paid for the release of the abducted school girls.

The Governor made the declaration on Tuesday after bandits released the abducted female students of Government Girls Secondary School (GSS) Jangebe, Zamfara State.

As previously reported by Naija News, 279 schoolgirls were released and they were released around 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday.

This leaves 31 girls still unaccounted for, as seven of the girls had earlier escaped their captors.

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The released school girls have been received at the government house by the Zamafara State Governor in the company of his wife, the first lady Hajia Aisha Bello Matawalle, and heads of security agencies in the state.

The governor emphasized that no ransom was paid for the release of the girls as they were unconditionally released.

Governor Matawalle who took to his Twitter account to announce the release of the schoolgirls on Tuesday as he wrote, “Alhamdulillah! It gladdens my heart to announce the release of the abducted students of GGSS Jangebe from captivity. This follows the scaling of several hurdles laid against our efforts. I enjoin all well-meaning Nigerians to rejoice with us as our daughters are now safe.”

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The released schoolgirls have been scheduled for medical check-ups.

Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed happiness over the release of the female students abducted from the Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State last Friday.

In a statement on Tuesday morning by the presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, the President said he was excited that their ordeal came to a happy end without any incident.

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Buhari said: “I join the families and people of Zamfara State in welcoming and celebrating the release of these traumatized female students.

“Being held in captivity is an agonizing experience not only for the victims but also their families and all of us.”

However, while celebrating the release of the students, the President called for greater vigilance by the people so that human intelligence could be collected early enough to nip the bandits’ plans in the bud.

The President said the time has come to reverse, completely, the “grim and heartbreaking incidents of kidnapping”.

Buhari also warned that “ransom payments will continue to prosper kidnapping” while asking the police and the military to go after the kidnappers and bring them to justice.