Five girls have regained their freedom in Zamfara, seven months after being kidnapped by bandits in the North-Western state.
Upon their release, the victims met with the Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle where they were received at the Government House in Gusau on Monday.
It is not exactly clear when they regained their freedom or if any ransom was paid to facilitate their release.
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However, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Enlightenment, Media and Communications, Zailani Bappa, confirmed their release in a statement obtained by Channels Television on Monday night.
“The five girls were in captivity for the past seven months,” the statement read in part. “The combined efforts of the Police and other security operatives, supported by the State Security Council, saw to the final rescue of the girls, all of them in their secondary school ages.”
In his remark, Governor Matawalle commended the doggedness of the security operatives and urged them to put more efforts in ending the problem of banditry in the state.
According to him, intelligence reports indicated that the girls were exposed to the bandits by informants who were likely members of their families or very close to their families.
“Without informants, the bandits will be strongly incapacitated and will quickly be defeated,” the governor was quoted as saying.
He also called on residents of the state to courageously fight informants by reporting suspects to the authorities without fear.
The governor thereafter directed that the girls be taken to the hospital where the proper medical checks will be carried out on them for the next few days before being re-united with their respective families.
