By Oluwatosin Maliki
A male student identified as Treasure Ayuba, who was a victim of the last abduction at the Bethel Baptist High School in Kaduna State has been released by his kidnappers after two years and four months in captivity.
Quest Times gathered that, Treasure is among the 121 students of Bethel Baptist High School who were abducted by bandits in July 2021 at Maraban Damishi village in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
He was reportedly released on Friday, the student (treasure) has been reunited with his family.
The Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani has reacted to this development, expressing his happiness over the student’s freedom from the abductors.
The Governor further thanked God for his divine intervention as he also expressed gratitude to people and institutions that have been unrelenting in their efforts and prayers to ensure the safe return of the abductee.
In addition, Governor Sani assured that the Kaduna State Government will continue to provide the required support to all security agencies, so that they can offer maximum security and protection to schools in the state.
Meanwhile, Kaduna is one of several states in North-West and Central Nigeria bedeviled by bandits who terrorize villages, kill or kidnap residents and burn homes after looting them.
The gunmen have launched several attacks from camps in a vast forest straddling Northern States like Kaduna, Katsina, Zamfara and Niger states.
Also, those who fall victim of kidnapping are usually released after ransom payments by family members, while those who fail to find cash can be killed and their bodies dumped in the forest.
It was learnt that hundreds of students were kidnapped in mass school abductions in the region, including Kaduna, in the last two years.
Majority of the students who were victims of abduction, spent weeks and months in captivity before they were released after payments. Although, it was not stated if payment was made to secure Treasure’s freedom.