Abduction of schoolgirls was politically motivated – zamfara govt

By Oluchi Ihediuche

The Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, on Tuesday, said the abduction of the Jangebe schoolgirls was politically motivated.
He said the people behind it offered money to the bandits to sabotage the negotiation by the state government for the release of the girls.
The students were abducted by bandits at Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of the state.
“While the state was in negotiation with (the) abductors for the release of the schoolgirls, other persons offered money to the armed bandits to keep the girls in captivity,” the governor said.
Mr Matawalle stated this while addressing the freed Jangebe schoolgirls at the Government House in Gusau.
The governor said he has relayed the information to the police and relevant security agencies to investigate the matter.
He said the abduction of the schoolgirls was mysterious and politically motivated, vowing to expose those behind the abduction.
Mr Matawalle added that the number of those abducted is 279 and not 317 as quoted by the police. He said all the abducted schoolgirls were freed.
“The actual numbers of confirmed abduction from the school’s register was 279, not 317 as earlier said by the police,” he highlighted.