Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna state has congratulated Treasure Ayuba, the schoolboy who escaped from bandits den after two years of captivity, assuring him of state government’s support in every way to ensure his smooth integration into the society.
Treasure was one of the 121 students of Bethel Baptist High School, Kaduna kidnapped by bandits on July 5, 2021. Following the payment of ransom, 120 students were released in batches but Treasure was not released. Two years, four months later, he escaped from his captives and found his way home about a week ago.
Speaking when the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) Kaduna state chapter, Rev. John Joseph Hayab, led the parents and family of Treasure on a courtesy visit to Sir Kashim Ibrahim House, Governor Sani said the state government had put machinery in motion to ensure the safety of students in their various schools across the state.
He said the state government will start the support of Treasure by providing him with psychosocial treatment to address the trauma he must have gone through staying with the bandits for over two years.
“We are going to support him in every way to ensure his reintegration into the society. I will speak with the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development to provide him with psychosocial treatment to try and erase the impact of the two years he spent with the bandits. We have taken steps to safeguard our schools and ensure that our schoolchildren have their education in a conducive atmosphere. We will set up security committee in all schools, ensure the deployment of KADVIS (Kaduna Vigilance Service) to all our schools, secure our schools by building fences round the school among other measures,” he said.
Speaking on behalf of the family, Rev. Hayab said there was need to clear the air on the erroneous information being circulated that it was the student that opted to remain with the bandits, adding that there was nothing like that as the boy does not look like someone who would take such decision.
