Sources have confirmed on going negotiations for the release of no fewer than 287 abducted pupils and teachers of the Government Secondary School and LEA Primary School, Kuriga 1, in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, have begun.
Dependable sources close to the Kaduna State Government House, who are close to the negotiations but pleaded not to be identified because of security reasons, disclosed that the state government had reached out to the bandits through a private negotiator for the release of the pupils and their teachers.
The private negotiator, allegedly said to be an Islamic cleric is a highly influential negotiator who has been involved in negotiating several abductions with bandits in the past.
Bandits had stormed the LEA Primary School, Kuriga, around 8.30am on Thursday shortly after the assembly gathering and abducted the pupils and some staff members of the schools.