The All Progressives Congress has proffered an apology to the abducted students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, who were released on Thursday, for the trauma they went through during their six days in captivity.
The APC however assured the schoolboys that government would do everything possible to ensure that their learning environment is safe and secure.
The party stated this in a statement titled, ‘APC Welcomes Release, Commends Security Agents and Demands For Pre-Emptive Measures against Reoccurrence,’ signed by the Chairman, Caretaker / Extra-Ordinary National Convention Planning Committee of the APC, Mai Mala Buni, in Abuja, on Saturday.
Buni said the party received the release and return of the Kankara students who were abducted by the alleged bandits with “joy and a glad heart”.
The statement read in part, “The party also apologised to the pupils and vow that President Buhari and the party will do all it takes to make sure that they continue to study in a safe environment.
“We want to congratulate the parents of the children and also apologise on behalf of our party that one of our biggest promises was security and although we are doing our utmost best, such incidence is a sad event and must, at all cost not repeat itself.
“As a party, we called on Nigerians not to loose their hope in our government and the security apparatus.
“We thank all those who made this rescue effort possible, especially the Governors of Katsina and Zamfara States, the security agents across the country.
“We do not doubt the capacity of our security agencies, we believe and know they are capable especially when they are well motivated and led, which we can assure is the case under President Muhammadu Buhari.”
In another statement by the Youth Representative in the party’s Caretaker Committee, Ismaeel Ahmed, warned non-members of the 13-Man caretaker committee against speaking on the party’s behalf.
He said, “The party wishes to inform the general public, especially members of the media that the members of the defunct exco which was dissolved at the last National Executive Council meeting of the party do not speak for the party, and thus should not be quoted as such.
“We have seen statements published on the media quoting defunct members of the party’s dissolved executive and attributing it to the party; this is unacceptable and we will like to make it clear that only members of the current National Caretaker and Extraordinary Convention Committee may speak for the party.”