The 317 Schoolgirls Abducted in Zamfara have been Released – President Buhari

The schoolgirls who were reportedly abducted at gunpoint in a midnight raid from the Girls Science Secondary School in Jangebe town, Zamfara State, on Friday have been released, and their ordeal brought to a happy end without “any incident.”

President Muhammadu Buhari made the announcement on his social media page, stating that the news brings overwhelming joy.

He wrote that the government is “working hard” to put a stop to the recurring incidents of kidnapping. “The Military and the Police will continue to go after kidnappers. They need the support of local communities in terms of human intelligence that can help nip criminal plans in the bud,” President Buhari added.

We are working hard to bring an end to these grim and heartbreaking incidents of kidnapping. The Military and the Police will continue to go after kidnappers. They need the support of local communities in terms of human intelligence that can help nip criminal plans in the bud.

— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) March 2, 2021

The President released a statementvia his official Twitter page on Friday where he made it clear that “we will not succumb to blackmail by bandits and criminals who target innocent school students in the expectation of huge ransom payments.”

Let bandits, kidnappers and terrorists not entertain any illusions that they are more powerful than the government. They shouldn’t mistake our restraint for the humanitarian goals of protecting innocent lives as a weakness or a sign of fear or resolution. Our primary objective is to get all the school hostages safe, alive and unharmed.

State Governments must review their policy of rewarding bandits with money and vehicles. Such a policy has the potential to backfire with disastrous consequences. States and Local Governments must also play their part by being proactive in improving security in & around schools.

Let me say this again: We will not succumb to blackmail by bandits and criminals who target innocent school students in the expectation of huge ransom payments.

— Muhammadu Buhari (@MBuhari) February 26, 2021