The freed Jangebe girls

By Abubakar Ahmed

One of the 279 abducted Zamfara schoolgirls released early Tuesday morning has narrated her experience and that of her mates in the captivity of their abductors.

The girls were abducted from their dormitories in Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, on Friday.

The students arrived at  Government House, Gusau, at about 4a.m. on Tuesday.

According to News Agency of Nigeria, one of the freed girls identified as  Hafsatu Anka, an SS II student spoke on what they saw in captivity as well as their experience in the hands of the bandits for the five days they were in their den.

The girl, who spoke in tears, said they were laid in trenches littered with human faeces by their abductors while they were also fed with rice mixed with stones.

She said the bandits threatened to kill, fry and eat her and her schoolmates if they misbehaved.

Hafsat also revealed that they trekked over a long distance from the school, had a stopover for some hours before they got to the den of the bandits when they were abducted last Friday.

“There was no clean water or good food, and we felt we had already spent years even though it was our first day and the bandits kept firing into the air to scare us.

“They were very young boys with on one elder they called Kasalle or Yaya who gave them instructions, and he was the one that stopped them from touching any of us,” Hafsat stated.

According to her, the bandits wore military uniforms and claimed they defeated the security officials by invading the school and successfully whisking the girls away.

“We saw other people including women and children and father of one of our school mates who had been in the den for three months.”

Hafsat, who said she was happy for being rescued, pointed out that she would continue her studies but as a day student.

NAN reports that the students were abducted last Friday around 2: 00 a.m. generating public outcry across the world, with many calling on the government

The governor, who received the girls at about 5a.m on Tuesday in Gusau, said the 279 girls were returned safely without paying any ransom.

“This is the result of our peace effort and putting to shame all those saying there is no security in this country.

“We have been in discussion since Friday with the abductors and reached agreement on Monday by 4pm that the girls were released.

“We are happy that all 279 have safely returned, they will undergo medical checks and given balanced diets to recuperate by the state government before they are handed back to their respective families.

“I want to appeal to parents not to remove their children from school as a result of this, we will ensure additional security in all the schools.

“We thank all media outlets for their support throughout these trying times,” the governor said.

Matawalle congratulated parents of the victims and Nigerians for the safe return of the girls.