Malik Yahya/
President Muhammadu Buhari’s Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, has chided police authorities in Kaduna State for misinforming the public about their involvement in the rescue of the three students of Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, who were among the six people kidnapped on the Abuja-Kaduna Expressway on Monday.
Ahmad also said he had deleted his tweet of some media reports which claimed police were responsible for the rescue of the victims, after he learned that the three were released by their abductors following negotiations with their families and payment of the agreed ransom.
Ahmad who stated his position in a tweet today also apologised to the public for sharing a false report.
His tweet reads: “I have taken down this tweet. Relatives and one of the victims confirmed that there’s no police involvement in the process that lead to their release. Got the info first from NAN, mins later some n’papers carried it, too bad police was trying to take credit. I apologize for sharing it.”
The Kaduna State Police Command in a statement yesterday by its Public Relations Officers, DSP Yakubu Sabo, had claimed that its operatives rescued three students.
The command also said that the remaining three victims were still being held by the kidnappers.
Ahmad had consequently tweeted some of the media reports of the development based and on the claims by the police.
But one Sadiq Ango, who claimed to be a relation of one of the victims, countered that the police did not play any role in the rescue effort.
According to him, the families of the three students negotiated directly with the kidnappers and paid the agreed ransom before the victims were released yesterday.
Ango had tweeted in reaction to Ahmad’s tweet: “Lies… It took us 48 long hours of negotiations with the kidnappers to secure the release of our sister to us, NOT the police. Ransom was paid in full as negotiated with the three families involved.”
The statement by the police further read in part: “The Command wishes to state that, on the said date, August 26, at about 18:50hrs, Armed Men in Military Uniform intercepted some commuters near Masari Village along Kaduna-Abuja Expressway, opened fire on the vehicles, in the process kidnaped six persons.
“However, due to the prompt response of the Police and other security agents to the scene, three people were later released by the hoodlums due to intensive combing within the general area.
“The three students alongside the abandoned vehicles at the scene of the incident, were moved to the Police Station.”
The command also assured that concerted efforts were being coordinated by the joint teams of Anti-Kidnapping Unit, PMF and the IRT to rescue the remaining three victims and apprehend the perpetrators.
See video of one of the abducted students after reuniting with her family: