By Ismail Auwal
Boko Haram has released an audio message where it claimed that it is responsible for the abduction of students of Government Secondary School Kankara in Katsina State.
The 4:30 long clip, released by Abubakar Shekau, leader of Boko Haram, came three days after about 500 students were abducted, a situation that caused a nationwide uproar.
This is coming at a time when Katsina state government , northern Nigeria, says the abductors of the students of Science Secondary School, Kankara have contacted authorities and discussion on the safety and safe return of the students has commenced.
In the same vein, Governor Masari of Katsina state, has viited Daura, to brief the President on the effort being made to locate the abducted schoolboys.
The governor has equally informed the President that security agencies have located where the abducted schoolboys are kept by the abductors.
What do experts say?
Barrister Bulama Bakarti, a researcher on terrorist jihadists groups in West Africa, told BBC Hausa that, it is will not be a surprise if the Boko Haram’s claim turns out to be true considering the fact that Boko Haram has recently announced that its members have infiltrated the northwestern Nigeria.
The barrister said, “members of Boko Haram, some few months back, claimed they have indoctrinated and assimilated gunmen where they work together “
In what situation are the parents of the students?
The parents of the abducted students have continued to appeal to authorities to do all they can to secure the release of their children, whose whereabouts and conditions remains unknown.
A father of two of the abducted students informed us that they have been in distress since incident occurred, “because it is distressing to have a child that has gone missing, it is less concerning to have him dead.”
He said the mother of the boys has been in a very difficult condition, however, they have submitted all their affairs to Allah.
In a related development, parents of the abducted schoolboys, who gathered at the school, were dispersed, using teargas, by law enforcement agents, a situation that drew condemnation from Nigerians including the opposition PDP which said the action is condemnable. “The state apparatus of power is being used to inflict further pain on the helpless victims.”
Katsina state governor, Aminu Bello Masari, who visited the school Saturday, has ordered the closure of all boarding secondary school in the state.
He equally said policemen, military and state security service operatives have already swung into action to locate and free the students.
