Logistically it’s Impossible for Boko Haram to Kidnap Schoolboys in Katsina, Former Senator Shehu Sani Says

Following the controversy as to who’s responsible for the kidnap of over 300 schoolboys in Kankara, Katsina State, Senator Shehu Sani has said it’s logistically impossible for jihadist group Boko haram to kidnap the students.

Sani, a senator of the governing All Progressives Congress in the 8th Senate said Boko haram’s strength and perimeter of influence of the group still remains in the northeastern part of Nigeria.

“Boko haram engages in kidnapping students as they have done in Chibok and Dapchi and bandits too. If you can recall, this time last year, they kidnapped students and raided schools in parts of Kaduna state, so who were responsible for the kidnap of the students in Kankara?

“Logistically, it is impossible for Boko haram to have kidnapped students in Kankara, Katsina, because the strength and perimeter of influence of Boko haram still remain in the northeast, basically in three states, the northern part of Adamawa, Borno state and Yobe state.

“So, bandits have been exercising influence, raiding villages and killing people in basically four to five states in the northwest, Katsina, parts of Sokoto state, Zamfara, Kaduna and Niger states,” Sani told ARISE News.

The former lawmaker who’s also a human rights campaigner said if the jihadist group is actually in possession of the kidnapped schoolboys, the Boko haram insurgents would have released video evidence.

“Before there should be a full confirmation of whether those young boys are in the hands of Boko haram, I believe that there should be video evidence which Boko haram if they are actually in charge they will certainly release them audio is not enough to believe they are in the hands of Boko haram.

“From our experience of kidnappings in the northwestern part of Nigeria, it has always been they kidnap first, and phone calls made and negotiations follow and ransoms paid and then the hostages are released.

“If this didn’t happen and then there’s video evidence, then it’s certain that they are in the hands of the Boko haram insurgents,” he said.

By Abel Ejikeme