The Kaduna state government has dismissed a newspaper report, stating that a private bandits negotiator has been hired to facilitate the release of the 287 school children abducted by bandits on Thursday.
The newspaper report had claimed that the state government had reached out to the bandits through a private negotiator for the release of the children and their teachers, abducted on Thursday at the Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School, Kuriga 1, in Chikun Local Government Area of the state had commenced.
The report quoted, “a highly placed source in the Kaduna State Government House,” saying, the state government had reached out to the bandits through a private negotiator for the release of the pupils and their teachers.
The report said the private negotiator is a highly influential negotiator who has been involved in negotiating several abductions with bandits in the past.
It added that, the government has established contact and reached out to the bandits for negotiation through the negotiator who worked for the return of some of the students abducted some years back.
However, in a statement on Saturday the state government denied the report, saying it is not true.
The statement signed by Muhammad Shehu, spokesperson to Governor Uba Sani, said the state government did not hire any private negotiator and is not contemplating making such a move.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Kaduna State Government has been drawn to an outrightly mischievous and false report in the Punch Newspaper of 9th March 2024 stating that the Kaduna State Government has hired a private negotiator to facilitate the safe return of school children abducted in Kuriga community, Chikun Local Government of Kaduna State.
“We wish to state categorically that the Kaduna State Government did not hire any private negotiator, neither are we contemplating make such a move.
“The hiring of a private negotiator only exists in the fertile imagination of the Punch Newspaper reporter.
“The Kaduna State Government has a clear policy on non-negotiation with terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.”
The statement “urge members of the press to be cautious in the way they craft and publicise their stories on security in order not to jeopardize the efforts of government and security agencies in degrading criminal elements laying siege to our communities.”
Shehu said, “If the Punch Newspaper had made efforts to contact the Kaduna State Government, they would have gotten the correct information. The Press are our partners in progress. Our doors are always open.”
John Shiklam
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