Governor Aminu Masari of Katsina state is yet to establish communication with the abductors of 333 students kidnapped from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara.
Before this mass abduction, Katsina, along with other states in the Northwest, has been battling with banditry.
Only 426 pupils out of the total population of 884 in the hostel could be accounted for on Saturday.
But Governor Masari told Minister of Defence Gen. Bashiir Magashi (rtd), who led service chiefs to the state on a mission to rescue the kids that 333 pupils were still missing.
Masari said the abductors, believed to be bandits, were yet to make contact with the state government.
He added that no group had claimed responsibility for the abduction.
The police said they rescued 200 pupils shortly after the incident. About 206 others surfaced before the arrival of the service chiefs.
Masari said his administration, in collaboration with security agencies, was combing Kankara and neigbouring communities in search of the missing students
He added: “The school’s pupil population is 839 and so far, we are yet to account for 333. We are still counting because more are still coming out of the forest.
“We are still searching for those missing because as a government, no group or association has contacted us or made any claims till date.’
Magashi promised that the armed forces had resolved to move fast and ensure speedy rescue of the students
The Defence Minister said: Within the next few days, we will ensure the students are back without collateral damages to the people of Katsina State. All hands are on the deck to ensure that this rescue move is given the greatest priority it deserves.
“We have the strategies; we have the intelligence and the information. We also have details of their whereabouts, movements and methods of operations.
“The task is easy for the armed forces and the police. The only thing is that we need prayers from you so that there will be no collateral damage in the event of being hostile.
“We assure you that all hands are on deck. But, the conclusion by the armed forces is that these hoodlums should be declared terrorists.”
Members of the delegation included National Security Adviser, Gen. Babagana Monguno; Chief of Defence Staff Gen. Abayomi Olonisakin; Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, Chief of Naval Staff Vice Admiral Ibok Ekwe Ibas and Inspector General of Police, Mohammed Adamu.
Others are: Director-General of the Department of State Services, Yusuf Magaji-Bichi and Director-General, National Intelligence Agency NIA, Ambassador Ahmed Rufai.
As the delegation was meeting with Masari, a group of women went on a protest, calling for the rescue of the abducted pupils.
The women protested on the school premises, calling for quick rescue of the pupils.
The protesters, who were led by a woman who identified herself as one of the mothers of the abducted pupils, went around with placards with various inscriptions including: “Government must speak out’, ‘We want our children back’ and ‘We want security in Kankara.’
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
