The schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, in Talata Mafara local government area of Zamfara State yesterday narrated their harrowing experience while in the bandits’ den.

The 279 girls, who were abducted from their hostels in the early hours of last Friday and regained their freedom yesterday, said the criminals asked them (the girls) to marry them while others requested that they should teach them the English language.

The girls who arrived at the Zamfara State Government House in Gusau early yesterday wearing face masks and light blue and brown chadors had breakfast before visiting the hospital for checks before reuniting with their families.

The abduction of the girls on Friday was the latest in a series of school abductions witnessed in the country in the past three months.

Announcing their release, the state governor, Bello Matawalle, pegged the actual number of the students abducted against the 317 earlier given by the police.

Matawalle said no ransom was paid to secure their release, adding that the students were returned very healthy.

According to him, 30 repentant bandits were involved in the negotiations that led to the eventual release of the schoolgirls.

Recounting what they went through in the hands of the criminals, the schoolgirls said the bandits asked them to marry them, while others sought to be taught the English language.

A JSS 2 student, Hauwa’u Yusuf, said they were forced to trek for several hours and stopped intermittently under trees to rest for a while.

According to Hauwa, they trekked to a big ditch where all the schoolgirls were parked in.

On feeding the abductees, the abducted minors lamented that they were given a handful of rice to eat for the four days of the abduction.

One of the girls, Habiba Iliyasu, said she saw her father and elder sister in the kidnappers’ den, but her father warned her not to show that she is related to him or else they would be killed.

“He signaled to me not to recognise him or my sister or else they would all be killed. My colleagues who got to understand that he is my father also asked me to heed his warning,” she recounted.

Also, one of the abductees, Hunainatu Abubakar, said the abductors had asked them to pray for them to become good citizens.

“They ridiculed us, called us many bad names, threatened to kill us and then later, they asked us to pray for them to become good citizens and that we should teach them English language so that they could speak in English.

“We prayed for them but they said they did not have time to learn anything. They also asked those who either are from Kaduna or whose parents are policemen or military officers to step out but those whose parents are security men refused to be identified.

“They also threatened to rape us but their leader, Kasalle, warned them against that. They always added sand to our foods and only allowed us to dig for water with our fingers at a dry pond.”

On whether she would continue with her education, Hunainatu who answered in the affirmative, however, said she would go back to Kaduna where she came from and continue her education at a day school in order to fulfill her dream of becoming a lawyer.

“Some of the bandits even asked if we would marry them but none of us responded and so they said they would be looking for those with big eyes and kill them, to which we all lowered our gazes,” she added.

Asked if she could trace the bandits’ hideout, Hunainatu said, “Though we were taken at night through the back of our school, l believe l can trace the location where we were taken and l can still remember their faces if l see any of them”.

She also corroborated the story of Habiba Iliyasu who said she saw her biological father who was kidnapped over three months ago but that the man cautioned them against showing that she is her daughter to avoid being killed.

She said most of them returned with wounds and swollen legs because they were asked to leave their shoes on the day they were abducted.

Hunainatu said that they slept in the open while in captivity only to go into hiding along with the criminals whenever they heard the sounds of helicopters on rescue mission.

One of the parents, Akilu Mayanchi, said since the incident occurred last Friday they have been spending sleepless nights praying.

“This is a terrible situation, though we appreciate the efforts of the governor in the rescue of the students, but I’m planning to move out of Zamfara State and to another area,” he added.

Source:
https://leadership.ng/bandits-asked-us-to-marry-them-be-their-english-teachers/?amp=1

Hhmmm... fear northerners and their hunger for juvenile kpekus

2021...dem neva still dey speak english.