An 18 Year Old Katsina Student Reveal How He Escaped From Boko Haram

Osama Aminu Maale, an 18 year old student of Government Science School, Kankara in Katsina State has narrated how he escaped from Boko Haram bandits who kidnapped hundreds of his colleagues last Friday. According to Osama Aminu Maale, 520 students were abducted when the armed bandits identified to be Boko Haram stormed the school on Friday night and abducted over 520 students.

According to his words; “There were a total of 520 of us that were taken by the gunmen from the school,” he told AFP on the phone.

“After they took us away we stopped inside the bus where they made the older students take a headcount. We counted 520,” he said.

The hostages were split into groups before Osama Aminu Maale and four others escaped.

According Osama Aminu Maale; “One of the gunmen hit me repeatedly when I failed to keep up with the rest of the group due to my failing health before he let me trail behind, giving me the chance to escape” Osama Aminu Maale added.

The Federal Government has said efforts were on to rescue students abducted by Boko Haram armed men who raided their hostels. However, UN children’s agency UNICEF has condemned the assault on the school in Katsina, the home state of Nigerian President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari.

The Katsina State governor, Aminu Masari, who visited the school on Saturday, said soldiers were working to locate and free the hostages.

According to his words; “Soldiers are currently in the bushes fighting the Boko Haram bandits. We will do all we can to ensure all the abducted children are reclaimed,” he said.

Aminu Masari further stated that it was still not clear how many students were in the hands of the Boko Haram bandits and how many had managed to escape.

According to his words; “The school has a population of 839 and so far, we are yet to account for 333 students” Aminu Masari told a federal government delegation in his office on Sunday.

He further stated; “We are still counting because more are still coming out of the forest,” said the governor.

“Up till this moment, no one can give a precise figure of the children abducted,” he stated, adding that students who escaped the bandits confirmed some of their peers were taken.

Since the attack, all secondary schools in the state have been shutdown. Residents of Kankara also protested the abduction of the students on Sunday, asking the authorities and federal governments to ensure their speedy release.

Austine Ikeru
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