Boko Haram terrorist group led by Abubakar Shekau has released a video confirming that students recently abducted from Government Science Secondary school in Kankara, Katsina State, are in their custody.
The students of the all-boys boarding secondary school were abducted on Friday, December 11, after the terrorists stormed their school in the middle of the night, broke its gate, shot sporadically, and gathered the boys, claiming to be security operatives.
On Monday, December 14, the sect members released an audio claiming responsibility for the abduction.
However, Katsina State Governor, Aminu Masari denied this, claiming that local bandits roaming Katsina and Zamfara forests were responsible for the abduction.
Read Also: Boko Haram Claims Responsibility For Kidnap Of Kankara Students, Abubakar Shekau Gives Reason
In confirming of its initial statement, the sect group, according to HumAngle, on Thursday, December 17 released a six minutes and 30 seconds long video that features speeches from Shekau and one of the schoolboys who looked distraught.
The release also confirms that the students are still alive and the terror group may be prepared to negotiate the freedom of the young boys.
Several others young boys could be seen behind him, all covered in dust and appearing to be within a forest area.
Read Also: Abducted Katsina Schoolboys In Zamfara Forest – Gov Masari
A student who appeared to be the oldest student, speaking in both English and Hausa, urged the Federal Government to settle amicably with their abductors and advised against the use of military force in rescuing them.
He said;
All the Army that has come here to help us, please send them back. They can do nothing to them. Please sir, send all the soldiers and jet back. We need your assistance.
The boy also said they are 520 in number but some of them were killed because the government sent troops to rescue them, saying;
We have been caught by the gangs of Abu Shekau; some of us were killed.
A voice behind the camera could be heard telling the pupil what to say.
A young member of the terrorist group stood in their midst wearing a military uniform, including a face mask, and wielding an assault rifle.
The abductors in the video said they kidnapped the students because the government refused to stop killing and arresting Fulani criminals.
One of them stated; “We did this because you refused to stop killing and arresting Fulani”.
The young student then pleaded with the government to stop attacking the terrorists, stressing; “All the armies that you sent here can do nothing to them”.
He added that that government should “dissolve vigilante gangs and close down all types of schools, excluding Islamiyya [Qur’anic schools]”.
Afterwards, leader of the group spoke at the end of the video saying he was happy with the operation.
He expressed that many people thought he was lying when he claimed responsibility for the schoolboys’ abduction.
Shekau said he would not add anything since sceptics could now see the boys by themselves, saying;
Even if I didn’t say anything, here are my people speaking and here are your boys speaking too.
Watch a short clip from the video below;
“Please, you have to dissolve any gang of vigilantes, close any kind of schools, excluding Islamiyyah [Qur’anic schools]. All the troops who have come here to help us, please send them back,” one of the abducted schoolboys pleaded in the released video. pic.twitter.com/QbHCTpQ6cJ
— HumAngle_ (@HumAngle_) December 17, 2020
Via HumAngle.
