How we negotiated Kankara schoolboys’ release through ex-bandits – Matawalle

Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State on Tuesday gave a vivid account of the role he played in the negotiation for the freedom of 344 students of the Government Boys Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State.

He also reacted to claims made by the acting National Publicity Secretary of the All Progressives Congress, Yekini Nabena, that he was sponsoring banditry in the North West.

The governor said he would not take legal action against Nabena for alleged libelous comments against him and his government following the intervention of highly respected organisations and individuals.

Speaking to journalists in Abuja, the governor said the Kankara school boys were released in Zamfara State before they were moved to Katsina State, where they were received by government officials.

Matawalle  said repentant bandits were contacted, who in turn, played a major role in the negotiation and the eventual release of the boys.

He said, “As soon as the boys were kidnapped, we stepped in. We reached out to repentant bandits in the state. Negotiations were made and that was how they were released. The boys were released in Zamfara before they were moved to Katsina.”

According to him, before he assumed office, over 7,000 civilians were killed and thousands kidnapped by bandits in eight years.

The governor said, “Before I came onboard as the executive governor of Zamfara State, over 7,000 people were killed in such crisis and a dozen of hundreds of others were kidnapped by bandits within the eight years of my predecessor.

“Records have also shown that almost a million cattle and related animals were rustled by bandits in the state. Property and farm produce worth billions of naira belonging to innocent citizens were either destroyed, vandalised or carted away by these criminals. All these calamities and catastrophic consequences occurred in the hands of the APC government that ruled Zamfara State for almost a decade. Punch