Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy has accused Rev. Dr. Bulus Yohanna, chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, of withholding information about last Friday’s abduction of students from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area.
Onanuga claimed on Arise TV’s Prime Time on Monday that Yohanna was “playing games” with the event and delaying authorities’ efforts to discover the true number of abducted kids.
He denied prior assertions by the CAN chairman that 50 abducted students had been rescued, claiming that such kids were never apprehended.
“I learned when the bandits came in the night, the students were running helter-skelter, and some of them merely ran back to their homes,” he said.
According to him, the administration is still unsure about the number of missing pupils due to a lack of collaboration from school and religious officials.
“As at the moment, the authorities are in the dark as to how many people are really missing,” Onanuga said, adding that even security agencies had no clarity.
Onanuga noted that the Niger State Governor had requested a list of missing students but had yet to receive one.
“The authorities are in the dark as to how many people are really missing. The Niger State Governor asked for the list of students that are missing; up till now, I don’t know what kind of game the CAN chairman in Niger is playing. They are not collaborating with the government; I don’t know why they are doing that. Even the security men don’t know why they are not releasing the names,” he stated.
The presidential adviser further alleged that Rev. Yohanna told the school principal not to interact with security personnel, delaying ongoing rescue efforts.
Onanuga claimed that “The CAN chairman of Niger actually told the principal of that school not to talk to security people.”
