Abati: I thought I could rattle Tinubu during media chat — but he knows what he’s doing

By AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna

Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani yesterday bid farewell to the 137 Kuriga school children who were rescued from the captivity of bandits on Sunday.

The schoolchildren were among the 287 pupils abducted from L.E.A. Primary School at Kuriga in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State on March 7.

They had been under the government’s care since their release, and were conveyed yesterday to reunite with their families under tight security and the governor’s supervision.

Before seeing the children off, Governor Sani announced a donation of N10 million to the family of a teacher who died in the bandits’ captivity due to health complications.

The governor said his administration would provide scholarship up to the university to the children of the teacher, Malam Abubakar.

One of the children of the late teacher, Isah, who was among the kidnapped and rescued pupils, witnessed his father’s death in the bandits’ den.

Sani, who returned from Abuja to bid the children farewell after three days of psychosocial therapy at the Kaduna Women and Children Shelter, promised to use the Uba Sani Foundation to support the education of all the 137 pupils and students up to the university level.

“We saw the need to keep the children for this long because when they came on Sunday, it was observed that some of them needed some psychological support. We had to engage the service of psychologists and medical doctors to attend to them.

“Now, they have been given adequate psychosocial counseling and therapy. I am happy today that all the children are happy and they are in high spirit,” the governor said.

Addressing the pupils directly, he added: “Now, you are going back home to meet with your parents and other family members who are eager to see you. But I want to assure you that all of you remain my children.

“As a result of this, I will be using Uba Sani Foundation, which has been in existence for the past 16 years, to look after the education of all the 137 of you.

“Our government will also be carrying out a lot of rehabilitation works in the Kuriga community and the school. I have already given directive to that effect. This is because Kuriga community is one of the most peaceful communities in Kaduna State.”

On his decision to support Abubakar’s children, Governor Sani said: “Also, the Kaduna State government has taken a collective decision to support the family of Malam Abubakar, the teacher who died in captivity, with N10 million.

“Also, because he has a very young family, the Kaduna State government will be giving scholarship to his children until they finish secondary school and university.”

The governor promised to check on the children and monitor their educational progress.

Some of the children expressed appreciation to the governor, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and the security agencies for their roles in the the rescue. (Nation)