Bandits, not B/Haram abducted Kankara schoolboys, we didn’t pay a kobo – Gov. Matawalle

The Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle, has revealed how he facilitated the release of the 344 schoolboys of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State without the payment of ransom, DAILY NIGERIAN is reporting.

According to the newspaper, the Governor spoke in an exclusive interview with it.

Matawalle was reported to have spoken shortly after the schoolboys, who were kidnapped last week Friday, were released by their abductors on Thursday in Zamfara State.

Matawalle told the DAILY NIGERIAN that said he used repentant bandits and the leadership of Miyetti Allah to identify the syndicate that led the abduction, and then started the negotiation process.

He said:

“When we established contact with them, I persuaded them to release them unharmed.

“And so they did tonight.

“This is not the first time we facilitated the release of our people without payment of ransom.

“Ask anybody, we don’t pay bandits a dime.

“What we do is to extend olive branch to them because they also want to live in peace.

“ As I speak to you, they are on their way to Tsafe, from where they will come to Gusau and sleep.

“They will begin their journey to Katsina tomorrow morning.”

Speaking on the confusion over which group abducted the schoolboys, 344 of who were released on Thursday, Matawalle said: “Nothing like Boko Haram in this.

“The bandits did it.”

On the solution to insecurity in the North West, he told the DAILY NIGERIAN: “If all the governors will sit to address this problem by adopting dialogue, banditry will reduce to barest minimum.

“I can tell you security agents are really trying.

“When you remove political interference from their operations, you can get the results.”