Bayo Onanuga
The special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu,Bayo Onanuga has pointedly accused the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Niger State, Rev. Dr. Bulus Yohanna, of withholding information regarding last Friday’s abduction of students from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area.
The presidential aide, who was guest on Arise TV’s interview programme, Prime Time on Monday monitored by Newsmata.com.ng, alleged that Yohanna was “playing games” with the incident and obstructing efforts by the authorities to determine the actual number of abducted students.
Onanuga dismissed earlier claims by the CAN chairman that 51 abducted students had been rescued, asserting that those students were never captured.
He said, “I learnt when the bandits came in the night, the students were running helter-skelter and some of them merely ran back to their homes”, stressing that the government remained uncertain about the number of missing students due to a lack of cooperation from school and religious authorities.
He lamented that “As at the moment, the authorities are in the dark as to how many people are really missing,” emphasising that even security agencies had no clarity.
Stating that the Niger State Governor had requested a list of missing students but had yet to receive one, Onanuga posited that “The authorities are in the dark as to how many people are really missing. The Niger State Governor asked for the list of students that are missing, up till now; I don’t know what kind of game the CAN chairman in Niger is playing.
“They are not collaborating with the government; I don’t know why they are doing that. Even the security men don’t know why they are not releasing the names”.
The presidential spokesperson further alleged that Rev. Yohanna instructed the school principal not to engage with security operatives, complicating ongoing rescue efforts.
“The CAN chairman of Niger actually told the principal of that school not to talk to security people,” Onanuga alleged.