Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has stated that the argument over the payment of ransom to free the abducted Kuriga schoolchildren is irrelevant.
The Governor also added that Kaduna-based Muslim cleric, Sheikh Ahmad Gumi, was not involved in the rescue of the abducted Kuriga pupils.
The governor disclosed this while speaking on Channel Television’s Sunday Politics, adding that what was important was the fact that the government had been able to rescue all of them unhurt.
The schoolchildren were abducted from LEA Primary School and Government Secondary School, Kuriga, about four weeks ago but the Defence Headquarters, on Saturday, said they had been rescued.
READ ALSO: 137 School Children Abducted in Kaduna, Not 287, All Have Been Rescued — Gov Uba Sani
There were rumours that the government paid ransom to the kidnappers for the release of the schoolchildren, an insinuation rubbished by Governor Sani.
He said: “What is more important today is that our children are back home. Most of those permutations are not necessary. If your child is kidnapped, will you be sitting down and talking about how he was released?
“For me, what is more important is that those children are back home. Their parents are extremely happy and what is important to them is to reunite with their children.
“But some people who have no business with the situation are the ones coming out with some irresponsible permutations about whether ransom is being paid, whether someone had gone into the kinetic or non-kinetic approach. What is important to us in Kaduna is that the children are back home.”
The governor explained that the government handled the Kuriga schoolchildren abduction very discreetly, adding: “We tried as much as possible not to jeopardise the lives of the innocent children. Some people at some point wanted to politicize the whole incident.”
He said contrary to reports, 137 and not 287 schoolchildren were abducted on March 7, 2024, from Kuriga in the Chikun Local Government Area of the state.
“I don’t want to join issues with anyone in terms of numbers. What is more important to me is the safe return of the children. Today, I am happy that they are back safely, in high spirits, but those numbers were just figments of some people’s imagination,” the governor stated.