The wife of Kebbi State Governor Hajiya Zainab Idris has urged parents not to withdraw their children reunited with them yesterday after nine days in captivity from school.
She spoke during the reunification of parents and pupils at the Government House in Birnin-Kebbi.
She expressed happiness that none of the girls was violated by their abductors during the traumatic days.
She added that the 24 girl had been taken to the hospital for medical checkup.
‘You must not deny them education because of this incident. They must go back. Government is already putting in place necessary measures for their safety,’ she said.
Governor Nasir Idris said the abduction of the Government Comprehensive Girls Secondary School Maga caused their parents, the people of the state and his government sleepless nights.
‘Since the pupils were taken by the bandits about nine days ago, the parents had been traumatised, but we thank God that it didn’t take long before the security personnel deployed to search for them were able to rescue them,’ he said.
They were brought to Birnin-Kebbi, the state capital, on Tuesday night from Bagega forest in Anka local government area of Zamfara State, where the abductors kept them.
The schoolgirls were then handed over to their parents by the governor.
Commissioner for Basic and Secondary Education, Halimatu Bande, said the period of the girls’ captivity was a trying period for the state.
‘We thank those who stood with us through this period and the security personnel who helped to rescue our girls,’ she said.