Boko Haram was not concerned, he added, however quite the boys have been kidnapped by bandits masquerading because the Islamist terrorist group.
CNN has not been capable of independently confirm this.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari greeted the information in a press release posted to Twitter, saying: “This is a huge relief to the entire country & international community.”
Buhari additionally requested residents to be “patient and fair” to the federal government amid fierce criticism of the nation’s persistent safety points.
“Our administration is fully aware of the responsibility we have to protect the lives and property of all Nigerians. I ask Nigerians to be patient and fair to us as we deal with the challenges of security, the economy, and corruption. We will not relent,” he wrote.
In the video, a boy in a white shirt seems to be coaxed by somebody off digital camera into making the calls for on behalf of the captors. He asks the Nigerian authorities to shut down colleges that educate “western education” and says authorities troops despatched to search out the boys ought to retreat.
The video reveals dozens of kids beneath a tree, who seem drained. The voice within the video claims to be Abubakar Shekau, a pacesetter of one in all Boko Haram’s factions.
Masari confirmed to CNN on Thursday that the youngsters within the video are among the pupils who have been kidnapped. However he disputed the voice claiming to be Shekau, and mentioned as a substitute that “local bandits” have been “mimicking” his speech.
When talking with CNN’s Becky Anderson on Wednesday, Masari didn’t dismiss the message totally however cautioned that “more concrete evidence” was wanted earlier than it could possibly be confirmed that Boko Haram was concerned.
While kidnapping for ransom by felony parts in Katsina state have seen a disturbing enhance, an abduction of this scale is extraordinary. It recollects the brutal kidnapping of 276 ladies from Chibok in 2014 by Shekau’s faction. More than 100 of these ladies by no means returned residence.
In 2018, a breakaway faction of Boko Haram referred to as ISWAP kidnapped greater than 100 ladies in Dapchi. All however one was launched weeks later, after negotiations.
Obiageli Ezekwesili, a co-founder of the #BringBackOurWomen motion and former training minister in Nigeria, mentioned she was “surprised” the federal government had allowed one other such kidnapping to happen.
CNN’s Stephanie Busari and David McKenzie contributed to this report.
