*Troops rescue 137 abducted Kaduna pupils in Zamfara, 16 others in Sokoto
*Those rescued are 76 females, 61 males abducted from LEA, Kuriga, Kaduna
*16 children with a woman were also rescued in Gada LGA of Sokoto State
*Military assures that no stone will be left unturned until all hostages were rescued
By Emmanuel Obisue
In two separate coordinated operations, troops of the Nigerian military have rescued 137 hostages comprising 76 females and 61 males who were abducted from the LEA School in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, and 16 pupils (Almajiris) with a woman taken hostage in Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Disclosing this to newsmen in a statement on Sunday, Major General Edward Buba, Director of Defence Media Operations, recalled that the Kaduna captives were taken on March 7 March, after which the military vowed to leave “no stone unturned until all the hostages were rescued”.
He said the rescue of the Kaduna abductees happened in the early hours of Sunday, March 24, in conjunction with local authorities and government agencies across the country, “in a coordinated search and rescue operation rescued the hostages”.
“The rescued hostages totaling 137 comprise of 76 females and 61 males. They were rescued in Zamfara State and would be conveyed and handed over to the Kaduna State Government for further action.
It would be recalled that on 21 Mar 24, troops equally rescued 16 pupils (Almajiris) with a woman taken hostage in Gada LGA of Sokoto State. These hostages were handed over to the Sokoto State Government. These efforts demonstrate the armed forces resolve to find other innocent hostages and track down the terrorists that perpetrated these crimes.
“These efforts would continue until other hostages are found and the terrorists arrested, tried, and brought to justice by Nigerian law. Troops are employing similar effort to track down the culprits responsible for the killings of 18 soldiers in Okuama Community in Delta State. Justice awaits the culprits, as they cannot go unpunished,” Buba stated.
