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From Olanrewaju Lawal, Birnin Kebbi
The Kebbi State Government has disclosed that the 24 students of Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area who were rescued by the military were not molested or harassed by the bandits during their one week in captivity.
The Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Dr Halima Bande, disclosed this during the formal handing over of the freed girls to their parents at Government House, Birnin Kebbi.
According to her: “Today, we are in a happy mood as we hand over these freed girls to their parents. We give all glory to our Creator, who made it possible for our leaders to actualise the rescue of these girls.
“About eight days ago we were thrown into trauma because these girls were nowhere to be found. Our leader, the Executive Governor of Kebbi State, and the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria joined forces, which culminated in the rescue of these girls.
“Our greatest joy is that the medical report has shown that all of the girls are confirmed to be safe and free from any form of sexual abuse.”
While handing over the 24 schoolgirls to their parents, Kebbi State Governor, Dr Nasir Idris, thanked God Almighty for the successful and unharmed rescue of the girls.
“I am the happiest person because these girls were safely rescued unharmed. This is a happy day that we have long awaited, especially with what happened to our children at Maga school,” he said.
The governor recalled that Mr President had directed the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Minister of State for Defence, and all security chiefs to coordinate efforts towards the successful rescue of the abducted children.
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“This directive has no doubt yielded a positive result. We are here today celebrating an all-encompassing success. We are very grateful to Mr President,” he said.
The governor advised the freed girls not to be discouraged in their pursuit of Western education but to strive to become knowledgeable.
The governor advised the people to do everything possible to ensure that the state remains peaceful, noting that no development can be achieved in an atmosphere of rancour, acrimony, or breach of peace.
Idris described the harmonious relationship between the three former governors of the state and the present administration as a sign of progress and togetherness.
He noted that such unity is rare in many states of the federation, saying, “You can see all the three former governors of Kebbi and the present governor sitting together to achieve a common goal.”
The governor assured that security arrangements had been made to escort the rescued schoolgirls and their parents back to their towns and villages.
While responding on behalf of the parents, Malam Ibrahim Haruna-Maga expressed appreciation to both the federal and state governments as well as security agencies for making the rescue possible.
“We pray Almighty Allah will reward all those who contributed to the success of the rescue mission. Governor Nasir Idris has shown that he is a father to all of us; we are happy. To Mr President, we are very grateful for his efforts; only God Almighty will reward all of you,” he said.
