Families of the recently rescued boys from the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State, have continued to rejoice over their sons’ freedom.
While some of the families do not wish their sons continue in the same school, others want a robust and water tight security arrangement for their children to return.
This is the case of 16-year-old Annas Shuaibu, a Junior Secondary School, JSS 2 student of the Kankara school.
He is among the 344 students who recently regained freedom from their abductors.
Annas Shuaibu is the 14th of his 31 siblings.
He was one of the unlucky students abducted from his hostel when bandits attacked the Government Science Secondary School Kankara on Friday night, December 11.
He regained freedom 6 days after.
Narrating his ordeal, the 16 year old said, on that fateful day, said he was eating in the room, when suddenly, sporadic gunshots filled the air.
He said when he got out, he saw the bandits who told them not to be afraid as they were members of the vigilante group who had come to protect them.
He said that soon they lined up in batches and matched them into the forest, proclaiming one of the articles of faith in Islam which is, ‘I bear witness that there is no God except Allah, and the Prophet Muhammed is His messenger”.
Annas said they spent three days journeying barefooted, deep into the forest in the cold weather condition, without food or drink.
Some of the boys sustained injuries in the foot.
He also hinted that it was on the third day inside the forest that the bandits began to give them food made up of cassava, bread, groundnut cake popularly called ‘kuli-kuli’, sweet potatoes and water.
Annas said having stayed in the forest with the bandits for 6 days, debunked the claims that their abductors were Boko haram, as evident in their Hausa speaking ability.
He revealed that the video that went viral was made with them, saying the boys were forced by the bandits to claim they were Boko Haram.
According to him, they were kept under a tree, ate, slept and defecated at the same place for the 6 days they spent in the forest.
For his 64 year old pensioner father, Shuaibu Garba, who is also a diabetic patient, life was unbearable during the days of his son’s abduction.
He said as a result of starvation and the state of confusion, his health condition became severe.
He thanked God for answering his prayers, by the prompt release of his son.
He said, the continuous detention and the false information that, they were in the hands of Boko Haram could have led to his death.
For his 45 year old mother Zainab Shuaibu, the entire family went into prayers and fasting throughout the 6 days his son spent in captivity.
She noted that no one could eat or drink, rather, it was a period of agony and sorrow, even as well wishers and family members joined in sympathizing with them.
Zainab further said she is very happy now and prayed for the first continuous peace in the land.
Though the intention of Annas to become a doctor in the future, just like his father, depends on how the security of the school will be strengthened.
He threatened not to return as a boarding but a day student.
This same opinion was shared by his father.
Happy to be back at home after the ugly encounter, Annas and his family pray that such never repeats itself again.
