The Defence Headquarters has confirmed the rescue of 137 out of the 287 kidnapped Kaduna State schoolchildren.
The Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, had in a statement in the early hours of Sunday disclosed the rescue of the students of a primary school and a secondary school in Auriga village, Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
Sani, however, did not disclose the number of those rescued, leading to the belief that all of them were rescued.
But in a follow-up statement on Sunday morning, the Defence Headquarters disclosed the number of rescued schoolchildren and how the operation was carried out.
According to the DHQs in a statement issued on Sunday, those rescued were made up of 76 females and 61 males.
The statement, by the Director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba, said the students were rescued in Zamfara State and will be transported and handed over to the Kaduna State Government.
Buba said: “It would be recalled that on 7 March 2024, troops received information that terrorists had invaded LEA School Kuriga in Chikun LG of Kaduna State.
“During the incident an unconfirmed number of pupils were abducted.
“Following the incident, the military committed to leaving no stone unturned until all the hostages were rescued.
“Accordingly, in the early hours of 24 March 2024, the military working with local authorities and government agencies across the country, in a coordinated search and rescue operation rescued the hostages.
“The hostages are the same persons that were abducted from the school at Kuriga in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.
“The rescued hostages totalling 137 comprise 76 females and 61 male.
“They were rescued in Zamfara State and would be conveyed and handed over to the Kaduna State Government for further action.
“Relatedly, it would be recalled that on 21 Mar 24, troops equally rescued 16 pupils (Almajiris) with a woman taken hostage in Gada LGA of Sokoto State.
“These hostages were handed over to the Sokoto State Government.
“These efforts demonstrate the armed forces resolve to finding other innocent hostages and track down the terrorists that perpetrated these crimes.
“These efforts would continue until other hostages are found and the terrorists arrested, tried, and brought to justice by Nigerian law.
“Troops are employing similar efforts to trackdown the culprits responsible for the killings of 18 soldiers in Okuama Community in Delta State.
“Justice awaits the culprits, as they cannot go unpunished,” the statement added.
