Apga leader in Zamfara says local APC officials offered bandits N56m not to release Jangebe girls

ALL Progressives Congress (APC) leaders in Zamfara State have been accused of offering N56m ($146,000) to the bandits who recently kidnapped 279 pupils from Government Girls’ Secondary School (GGSS) Jangebe to forestall their release.

In late February, the girls were kidnapped from their boarding school in Talata Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State. After about five days on negotiations, they were eventually released and handed over to Governor Bello Matawalle at Government House in Gusau the state capital.

Pointing out that no ransom fee was paid before the Jangebe girls were released, Governor Matawalle said that their abduction was not just a straightforward case of criminality, however. He pointed out that Nigerians will be shocked to know those behind the abductions, revealing that the kidnappers were offered money by unnamed persons not to release the schoolgirls.

This allegation has been backed by Dr Sani Abdullah Shinkafi, the leader of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (Apga) in Zamfara State, who said APC leaders offered the bandits N56m to hold on to the girls. He added that their aim was to sabotage the peace efforts of Governor Matawalle.

Dr Shinkafi said: “I, therefore, challenge politicians from both the ruling and opposition parties to subject their telephone numbers to security checks since I am confident that the story that will come out of that process would be shocking."

He added the security checks on the personal telephones of the selected politicians should be from February 25 to the time when the girls were released. Dr Shinkafi said that some APC members in Zamfara State were desperate to ensure that Governor Matawalle failed in his commitment to transform the state, pointing out that security operatives needed to be active in curtailing the insecurity situation affecting the country.

Furthermore, Dr Shinkafi urged local youths not to allow themselves to be used as stooges for burning down Nigeria by some desperate and selfish politicians, advising them to focus more on building the nation. He also called on the government to come up with an initiative that will help in empowering the youth by creating job opportunities for them.