After armed men kidnapped more than 300 students in their school in northwestern Nigeria, now the parents of the boys are keeping a vigil at school already for six consecutive days.
The said raid on the city reminded citizens about the 2014 abductions of 276 schoolgirls in Chibok by the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram as the same group claimed responsibility for holding their sons, as families were aware that 100 of the Chibok girls were still unaccounted after years later.
The families convened at Government Science Secondary School, wherein they had their prayers while fearing the worst.
Abdulkadir Musbau, whose son Abdullahi was among the abducted, stated that they're worried as they do not know whether his son has already eaten if he is sick, or worst if he is still alive.
But while the ordeal of families began, it seemed to be ending with the best possible news as on late Thursday night, the governor of the state announced that all of the abducted boys had been released, and would be reunited with their parents the next day, the Insider reported.
Aminu Bello Masari, the governor shared that the government had not paid any ransom and the negotiations were done with a group of men that he described as 'bandits' rather than Boko Haram, but it was unclear what terms the of the freedom of the boys had been secured.
Read Also: South Korea warns of stricter COVID-19 Restrictions, Avoiding First Potential Lockdown
From the start, Boko Haram claimed the recent abduction, but some experts doubt their involvement as Kankara is in northwestern Nigeria which is an area that the group is not known to operate, but the terrorist experts also raised the possibility that the group is expanding by making a common cause together with criminal and militant groups that were already established in the region.
The group solidified their claim after releasing a video that showed several abducted boys, wherein one of them even said that he was from Kankara, begging the government to call off the army, close schools, and dissolve vigilante groups.
He also added that they have been caught by a gang of Abu Shekau, which refers to the leader of Boko Haram and he also mentioned that some of them were already killed.
The boy also emphasized that they have to send the money, as a dozen of smaller boys crowded him with their voice asking for help.
A Boko Haram representative also was heard in the audio message wherein he implied the collaboration between the Islamist militants and kidnappers.
In an interview with the BBC, which was recorded before news of the release, Mr. Masari shared that the kidnappers had made contact with the father of one of the boys, which demands that the government must send the money to the terrorist.
The Governor also added that they have an idea as to where the terrorists are, however, they are still trying to make sure that there will be no collateral damage, as all they want was to bring the children back safely in the hands of their families, Manila Bulletin reported.
According to CNN Philippines, He also added that they are handling the current negotiations carefully and on late Thursday night, President Muhammadu Buhari released a statement hailing the return of the kidnapped students and praised the cooperation of the security forces and the government of Zamfara and Katsina states.
Related Article: Mother Pleads for Return of Son After Boko Haram Claims Mass Abduction
