Kidnapped Schoolgirls from Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State last Friday have regained their freedom.

According to Governor Bello Matawalle, the girls were released with the help of repentant bandits without any ransom paid.

He put the number of girls recovered at two hundred and seventy-nine, although the police had earlier said three hundred and seventeen girls were kidnapped.
The governor who thanked God for answering the prayers of the parents, guardians, government and Nigerians, said he was devastated.
He said his government will continue to negotiate with bandits, as some who may have been involved in the abduction – and convince them to accept a peace deal.
Governor Matawalle also noted that the released girls will undergo counselling.
The released girls arrived at the Zamfara State Government House in Gusau early today wearing face masks and light blue and brown chadors.
The girls’ kidnapping on Friday was the latest in a series of school abductions that has rocked the country in the past three months.
Last Sunday, there were reports about the release of the girls, initially reported to be 317.
Governor Matawalle debunked the report, but promised the girls would soon be released.
It was the fourth mass abduction by terrorists in the North west, since December 2020.
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that episodes like the Zamfara abduction will be the last under the present administration.
This is as the government is working to ensure there is no repeat of abductions in schools in the country.
According to minister of Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari has done everything possible to ensure safe schools.
He says the government has recently rejigged the national security architecture… and everything that is made possible to stop this from happening again has been put in place.
According to him, there may be possibilities that some people will try to embarrass government, however, he boasts that government has the resources to give the best when it comes to securing the country.
The minister who had earlier led a federal government delegation on a commiserative visit to Zamfara said President Buhari is saddened by the abduction of the students from Jangebe, adding that government will use all the resources at its disposal to tackle the miscreants.
Hevfurther stated that federal government will continue to support the efforts of Zamfara, to ensure the security issues besetting the state are resolved.