Repentant Bandit reveals motive behind Kankara boys abduction

Auwal Daudawa, an alleged mastermind of the abduction of students from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State has revealed the reason behind the boy’s abduction.

He led the operation because Governor Bello Masari dared his men, he said.

In an interview, Daudawa stated that he wanted to prove to the government that he had the courage to carry out such an attack.

He claimed Governor Masari had ruled out the option of negotiating with his group, and he wanted to demonstrate to the governor that they were capable of causing conflict.

He stated, “I have never done that kind of mass abduction in Zamfara. I did that in Katsina because the governor came out to say he will not dialogue again with our people. So, we said since they said they were not interested in peace deal and they were sending military jets to torment our people, and destroy what we had, we should take the battle to those who are not interested in peace.

“I did that to demonstrate that I had the capacity to do it and I was not afraid of anybody other than Allah. It was for the government, and the whole world to know that we could do it but were hitherto not interested in something like that.”

Furthermore, Daudawa also disputed that, before releasing the more than 300 abducted students, his group received ransom, challenging those with contrary evidence to speak up.

“After the abduction you could see that I was not difficult to come around during talks because I did not do it because of money. If it were for money, I would not have released them even for N2 trillion. The whole world knows, if I was given money it would be known, if I was not given it is also known. It cannot be hidden.”

Daudawa was leading a gang of bandits that had a stronghold in Dumburum forest in Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State before he laid down his weapons.

His group terrorized the people and road users of the State Axis of Zurmi-Gidan Jaja and Jibia.