A startling new video has surfaced, featuring the very bandits linked to the abhorrent abduction of schoolgirls from the Government Girls Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State. In a blatant challenge to the Nigerian government's narrative, the armed criminals assert that negotiations took place prior to the girls' release, directly contradicting official claims that no ransom was paid. 

The details of this shocking incident are grim. Armed thugs stormed the school, leading to the tragic death of the vice-principal and the abduction of multiple students. The girls were released on a date that’s raised eyebrows, as officials quickly rushed to assure that they would reunite with their families soon.

In the video, which has gone viral on social media platform X thanks to user @AM_Saleeem, one bandit is seen taunting the schoolgirls, probing them about military aircraft that buzzed overhead during their nightmarish captivity. When he asks how many jets they saw, the girls respond, “uncountable.” The bandit smugly boasts of the government’s failure to rescue them by force, implying that only through negotiations could they secure their freedom. 

The bandits further interrogate the girls, inquiring about their treatment while in captivity. One thug asks, “Did we leave you hungry?” to which the girls reply, “No.” He then follows up with, “Were you assaulted in any way?” again receiving a negative response. Another kidnapper smugly reassures them, “We will take you back home safe to your parents; we are doing this based on peace deals.” He goes on to ridicule the government, declaring, “We are letting you go after negotiations. Your government cannot rescue you with might. Your government has failed.”

This shocking footage was released just after Kebbi State Governor Nasir Idris and Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, proudly proclaimed that all abducted students had been freed. Pictures of smiling girls aboard a bus, supposedly headed to safety, are now overshadowed by this chilling video. 

As this harrowing saga unfolds, the implications of these revelations pose serious questions about the Nigerian government's competence in handling such crises and the daunting challenges of rampant banditry plaguing the region.