“Intelligence report on likely kidnap of pupils’ revealed three months ago” ~ Gov El-Rufai

The Governor of Kaduna State, Nasir el-Rufai, has said his administration got an intelligence report about the likelihood of pupils’ kidnap three months before it happened.

He said the state government, parents and guardians of the victims, as well as security agencies were doing everything possible to secure their release.

El-Rufa’i stated this while reacting to the abduction of six pupils and two teachers at the Engrave’s College in Kakau Daji area of Kaduna State on Wednesday.

The governor spoke to State House Correspondents in Abuja on Friday, the News Agency of Nigeria has reported.

El-Rufai dismissed the insinuation that parents were already withdrawing their wards from schools following the pupils’ Wednesday abduction.

He disclosed that the kidnappers had made contact with the parents of the students, demanding ransom.

According to him, the state government has assembled the affected parents and the relations of the teachers in one place.

He said this was to ensure one line of communication with the kidnappers to facilitate speedy release of the victims, adding that the state government had no intention of paying ransom to the kidnappers.

“We got intelligence report of the likelihood of this danger three months ago.

“Like I said, we put in place measures that I don’t want to go into details [about].

“But any bandit that comes to Kaduna to try to do this has a very high chance of getting killed.

“That is all I can say; very high chance of getting killed,” he warned.