Eleven hostages escape amid military offensive in Kaduna, two others rescued

• Minister identifies factors fuelling out-of-school phenomenon
• Borno enrols 5,361 orphans in schools

Amid heavy bombardment by the military on bandits camps in Kaduna State, yesterday, not fewer than 11 hostages escaped, while troops rescued two.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who confirmed the intense military operation against the bandits, stated, yesterday, that the troops rescued the two kidnapped citizens in Jema’a and Lere councils.

“Security agencies have informed the Kaduna State Government that 11 hostages escaped from bandits camps at the outskirts of Sabon Birni town, Igabi Local Council,” he said.

Aruwan quoted the reports as explaining that the ongoing security operations dislodged many of the bandits’ camps, enabling the escape of the hostages.

He said: “Careful checks revealed that the 11 hostages are a mix of those kidnapped from Dumbin Rauga, Zaria and along the Kaduna–Zaria highway.”

The escaped hostages, who are between ages seven and 10, were identified as Fatima Sani, Aisha Falalu, Amina Aliyu, Hadizatu Sani and Bashar Falalu, among others.

“It was reported that the families of those kidnapped at Dumbin Rauga had collectively paid a ransom of N3 million, but the bandits reneged on the agreement to release them, insisting that two motorcycles must be included in the ransom deal,” he said.

Also, Operation Safe Haven (OPSH) reported the rescue of two victims, Barira Inusa and Isah Musa, around Kirti village in Jema’a.

MEANWHILE, the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has identified increased activities of insurgents and criminals as responsible for the growing number of out-of-school children in the country.

Other vices, he said to have led to the phenomenon, include kidnapping and general insecurity in schools.

The minister, who made the observations at the ongoing 65th National Council on Education (NCE) in Jalingo, Taraba State, also identified culture, politics, poverty and religion as fundamental factors chasing out pupils and students from the four walls of the classrooms.

The NCE meeting, themed ‘Eradicating Out-of-School Children Phenomenon: A tool for the Achievement of Education 2023 agenda’, the minister believed can only be achieved when the sector is overhauled.

HOWEVER, Borno State Government has registered 5,361 orphans for enrolment into primary schools in of the state.

The beneficiaries were among the 59,311 orphans and 59,213 widows thrown up by the 12-year Boko Haram terrorism in the North East.

While supervising the enrolments in Monguno, on Wednesday, Governor Babagana Zulum disclosed that the children, between the ages of seven and 13, would be provided with free uniforms, writing materials and school meals.