Governor El-Rufai Secretly Withdraws Son From Public School As Kidnapping Increases -Source Reveals

 

SaharaReporters, after visiting the school premises on Monday, established from pupils and teachers, who are presently in the first term, that young El-Rufai had not come to school since resumption, amidst the rising insecurity and threats to the lives of schoolchildren.

Abubakar El-Rufai, the seven-year-old son of Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State, who was enrolled in 2019 at the Kaduna Capital School, has been absent from school for several weeks till now, according to findings by SaharaReporters.

SaharaReporters learnt that the boys absence from the school is strongly linked to the rising abduction of schoolchildren in northern Nigerian schools by ravaging bandits, of which Kaduna State has had an ugly share, and still has yet-to-be-released abducted pupils.

SaharaReporters, after traveling the college premises on Monday, set up from scholars and instructors, who're currently inside the first time period, that younger El-Rufai had not come to school due to the fact that resumption, amidst the rising lack of confidence and threats to the lives of schoolchildren.

Our correspondent, who arrived at the faculty around 10am, did no longer see Abubakar until the college closed by way of 1pm and students started trooping domestic.

SaharaReporters additionally observed some safety lapses in the faculty, placed on Isa Kaita Road, Ungwan Sarki region of the nation, which may also have contributed to the motives why the younger boy was now not seemed to be safe on the premises.

Abubakar is in Basic 2B at the Kaduna Capital School – a category of approximately 50 students before COVID-19 pandemic struck closing 12 months.

Schools began resuming in the state from February 1, 2021, after the pandemic-precipitated long destroy – the senior secondary faculty lessons first and later primary college students on March 22.

Teachers, Pupils Confirm Young El-Rufai Absent From School Since Resumption

Some pupils and two teachers, who spoke with SaharaReporters, confirmed that the young El-Rufai were absent from school on account that resumption.

“He does no longer come once more. I have not visible him. I don’t understand if he is still a pupil,” one of the scholars stated.

“His elegance is in this -storey constructing, that is for the number one college. But he has not come when you consider that we resumed,” every other scholar mentioned.

“You recognize the security state of affairs round public colleges within the state; he may also were withdrawn with the aid of his mother and father to prevent any embarrassing scenario of abductions or bandits’ assaults,” a teacher cited.

“His parents may additionally have enrolled him in some other school or who knows, he may additionally still be back, possibly after the faculties are more secure. The governor has a strong stance towards bandits – he isn't inclined to be visible to be paying ransom. So he would have assessed the state of affairs and concluded that he has to defend his son from any occurrence,” some other instructor said.

Coincidentally, El-Rufai's wife, Hadiza, on Monday insinuated that her husband had instructed her that if she ever were given kidnapped, he would no longer pay ransom to secure her launch.

On her Twitter cope with, Hadiza Isma El-Rufai (@hadizel), said, using asterisks in area of what is believed to kidnapping and ransom, "At my farm today. Anyone thinking of ********** me should not hassle. The guy has already warned me that he's going to not pay any ******."

Big Hole In School Fence

SaharaReporters determined one of the protection lapses inside the ancient school – set up in 1957 – that's a big hole within the fence – wide sufficient to take human beings not inclined to move in and out thru the gate.

It isn't always clear how long the hole has been there but it's far synonymous with the holes thru which bandits have gained entrance into a few colleges wherein there have been abductions.

Although a few protection works had been being carried out across the fence of the faculty, it is not clear if the hollow will be blocked in the process.

School Lacks Armed Security Personnel

Also, the Kaduna Capital School lacks any armed safety personnel. At the gates are two aged men – in all likelihood of their 70s, sitting on rickety iron chairs.

The governor’s son’s college lacks armed safety personnel and within the occasion of an attack, it could without difficulty give way to bandits or other such intruders.

The school has a boarding facility but it is not clear if the boarding house is presently operational or scholars had been requested to leave for his or her houses.

A staff member stated that the kingdom government have to accentuate the safety architecture round faculties inside the country at the moment, such as the Kaduna Capital School.

He stated, “We can also say KCS is on the town – it is in the coronary heart of the city. But some bandits are also on the town; and after they strike with heavy weapons that the police can not match, who will assist us out? That is why the authorities have to not go away some thing to risk.

“Every public college need to have a police patrol automobile stationed or at least, armed policemen’s presence to prevent. Shutting down public colleges in a few states of the north isn't simplest unfavourable to academic development but additionally cowing in to the demands of the bandits.”

SaharaReporters observed a massive stretch of bush behind the classrooms of the KCS, which could also function a hideout for criminals.

Series Of Unresolved Schools Abductions In Kaduna

Kaduna State has skilled abductions of public faculty pupils by gun-wielding bandits recently with the country authorities emphasising that it will mete out violence to the criminals and not negotiate to pay any ransom.

Only on March 12, the bandits stormed the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Mando, Kaduna, at approximately nine.30pm, capturing indiscriminately before abducting the students.

The Kaduna university changed into stated to have approximately three hundred male and woman students – in most cases elderly 17 and older – at the time of the attack.

“Further exams within the wake of the assault by using armed bandits suggest that 39 students are currently unaccounted for, which includes 23 women and 16 adult males,” Aruwan had said in a launch.

Not finished, on March 15, the attackers additionally stormed Rema Primary School inside the Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of the nation, abducting 3 teachers and students – however the pupils had been later freed.

Also, protection forces most effective last week thwarted a gang that had stormed a central authority secondary school in Ikara metropolis, headquarters of the Ikara Local Government Area of the state.