Despite the superlative efforts of the Federal Government to convince Nigerians that the abduction and rescue of 344 schoolboys of the Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State, was not stage managed, many citizens still remain skeptical.

This is due to the several contradictory claims on the part of government since the unfortunate incident happened.

While a presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, said that only 10 students were abducted from the school, his claim was at variance with that of the state Governor, Bello Masari.

Also, Bello Matawalle, governor of Zamfara, and Masari had separately said the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association played a major role in the release of the schoolboys.

However, the Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders Association (MACBAN) denied they negotiated the release of students.

The National Secretary of the association, Baba Othman Ngelzarma, maintained that such was not the case.

According to Ngelzarma, “unless the governor was discussing with the Katsina State branch of the association, but definitely, not with the national leadership.”

In the same vein, the National President of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, Bello Abduallahi Bodejo, also insisted nobody contacted them or discussed with them over the same matter.

Bodejo said: “We don’t know the bandits and we don’t want to know them and we don’t have anything to do with them. No member of Miyetti Allah Kautal Hore, even at local levels, knows the bandits.”

John Enenche, spokesman of the defence headquarters, had said on Friday that the military rescued the captives.

President Muhammadu Buhari himself similarly said on Friday that the abduction of the students was targeted at embarrassing his administration.(Sunday Independent)