We’ve rescued 137 Kidnapped Kaduna Pupils, Determined to Arrest Killers Soldiers in Delta-DHQ

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ)  on Sunday announced the rescue of 137 out of the over 200 children kidnapped from the LEA Primary School Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State by terrorists in on March 7, 2024.

in a media statement issued by Major General Edward Buba, Director Media Operations of the DHQ  revealed that the kidnapped children were rescued in Zamfara State, hundreds of kilometres away from Kaduna State.

the DHQ further stated that another set of 16 kidnapped children in Sokoto State were also rescued by Nigeria military and were handed over to the government of Sokoto State.

Similarly, the statement reiterated the resolve of the military to ensure the capture of the culprits that killed 16 military personnel in Okuama community in Delta State.

The statement reads:

“It would be recalled that , on 7 March 2024, troops received information that terrorists had invaded LEA School Kuriga in Chikun LG of Kaduna State. During the incident unconfirmed number of pupils were abducted. Following the incident, the military committed to leaving no stone unturned until all the hostages were rescued.

“Accordingly, in the early hours of 24 March 2024, the military working with local authorities and government agencies across the country, in a coordinated search and rescue operation rescued the hostages. The hostages are same persons that were abducted from the school at Kuriga in Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.

“The rescued hostages totalling 137 comprise of 76 females and 61 male. They were rescued in Zamfara State and would be conveyed and handed over to the Kaduna State Government for further action.

“Relatedly, 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 finding 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 trackdown the culprits responsible for the killings of 18 soldiers in Okuama Community in Delta State. Justice await the culprits, as they can not go unpunished.