Malik Yahya/
President Muhammadu Buhari says he is overwhelmed with joy today as 279 girls abducted from Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS), Jangebe regained freedom and were recounting their ordeal today.
The President in a tweet, early today, stated: “I join the affected families and the people of Zamfara State in welcoming and celebrating the release of the abducted students of GGSS Jangebe. This news bring overwhelming joy. I am pleased that their ordeal has come to a happy end without any incident.”
Shedding tears, one of the victims, SSII student Hafsatu Anka said they were laid in trenches littered with human faeces.
“We saw other people including women and children and father of one of our school mates who had been in the den for three months.
“They walked us on foot where some of us got dislocated on their foot. They would pray as Muslims but never allowed us to pray and they fed us with rice in which they put sand after cooking,” Hafsat said.
Zamfara State governor, Dr Bello Matawalle told reporters that repentant bandits assisted security agencies in the operation that led to the rescue of Jangebe school girls today.
The governor, who received the girls at about 5 a.m in Gusau, said the 279 girls were returned safely without a ransom paid.
“This is the result of our peace effort and putting to shame all those saying there is no security in this country.
“We have been in discussion since Friday with the abductors and reached agreement on Monday by 4pm that the girls were released.
“We are happy that all 279 have safely returned, they will undergo medical checks and given balanced diets to recuperate by the state government before they are handed back to their respective families.
“I want to appeal to parents not to remove their children from school as a result of this. We will ensure additional security in all the schools.
“We thank all media outlets for their support throughout these trying times,” the governor said.
Matawalle congratulated parents of the victims and Nigerians for the safe return of the girls.
Gunmen abducted the girls from their dormitories in Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, on Friday.
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