The Minister of Defence, Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar, vowed on Thursday that the abducted students from Kuriga secondary and primary schools in Kaduna State’s Chikun Local Government Area will be rescued shortly.
The minister also stated that the killings of Nigerian Army officers and troops in the Okuama community in Delta State will not be ignored, and that the perpetrators will be apprehended and dealt with decisively.
The minister spoke in Kaduna on Thursday evening while addressing troops from the Nigerian Army’s 1 Division, who are on the front lines combating bandits in the northwest states.
Abubakar said he was in Kaduna State to encourage the military battling terrorism across the North-West zones being their areas of responsibility.
The minister said President Bola Tinubu was aware of the sacrifices of the Nigerian Armed Forces.
He said, “We have the power, will and strength as well as determination and our morale is high to end insecurity. I know what you have been doing to rescue the schoolchildren unhurt. Keep the morale high. The President is behind you one hundred per cent.
“I have been briefed about your efforts to rescue the kidnapped schoolchildren. The strategies that I have been briefed about are going on very well and I am sure you will get them.
“We will free those children and bring them back to their parents. We thank you for your sleepless nights to keep us safe.”
The minister described as sad the killing of officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army in Delta State.
“We will find the killers of our soldiers and deal with them. You don’t kill our men and go scot-free, we will deal with them squarely,” he said.