Kaduna government denies hiring private negotiator to free abducted school children

Kaduna State Government on Saturday dismissed a report that it hired a private negotiator to facilitate the safe return of children abducted from the Kuriga community on Thursday as false and mischievous.

Assailants attacked the community located on the Kaduna Birnin-Gwari Road, abducted 100 pupils including the head teacher in a primary school, and took away 187 students from a secondary school.

“The attention of Kaduna State Government has been drawn to the outright mischievous and false report by a newspaper on Saturday,’’ Mr Muhammad Shehu, media aide to Gov. Uba Sani, stated.

“The report stated that the state government has hired a private negotiator to facilitate the safe return of school children abducted in the Kuriga community in Chikun Local Government Area.

“We wish to state categorically that the Kaduna State Government did not hire any private negotiator; neither is it contemplating to make such a move.

“The Kaduna State Government has a clear policy on non-negotiation with terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements.

“We urge the press to be cautious in the way they craft their stories on security matters so as not to jeopardise government’s efforts at degrading criminals laying siege to our communities,’’ Shehu added.