Nation
Kingpin Behind Kankara School Boys Abduction Surrenders
A criminal gang leader behind the kidnapping of hundreds of schoolchildren in Kankara, Katsina State in December, 2020, has surrendered to the authorities in an amnesty deal, officials said, yesterday.
Auwalun Daudawa led dozens of gunmen, who snatched students from their school hostels in Kankara in a crime that sparked global outrage and highlighted growing instability in the country’s North-West.
The abductions happened when President Muhammadu Buhari was visiting his home state of Katsina.
Some students managed to escape, and officials said around 343 were freed days later after negotiations.
Daudawa surrendered to local officials, last Monday, with six of his gang members, the local government spokesman said in a statement.
“In a brief ceremony at the premises of the Governor’s Office…. Auwalun Daudawa handed over the weapons, and also… swore with the Holy Quran not to revert to his old ways,” spokesman, Zailani Bappa said.
Daudawa and his comrades surrendered 20 Kalashnikovs and other weapons.
It would be recalled that the North-West has been terrorised by criminal gangs who raid villages, stealing cattle, kidnapping for ransom, and burning homes after looting supplies.
No fewer than 19 people were killed, last weekend, when armed men raided two villages in Kaduna State.
The gangs also attack travellers at bogus checkpoints on the highway and abduct them.
Hostages are usually released after a ransom payment.
Most of the Kankara children were released after days in captivity following negotiations between the abductors and officials of Zamfara and Katsina states’ governments.
The bandits hide in camps in Rugu forest, which straddles Zamfara, Katsina, Kaduna, and Niger states.
Despite the deployment of troops in Zamfara and Katsina states, deadly attacks persist.
The state government has sought instead to broker peace deals with the bandits, offering them amnesty in exchange for surrendering their arms.
Daudawa’s surrender was part of the amnesty offered to bandits, the statement said.
Security analysts have warned of infiltration of criminal gangs in the region by jihadists who are conducting a decade-long insurgency in the North-East.
Following the schoolboys’ abduction, Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, claimed responsibility in a video showing some children he alleged were the captives, in a bush.
Security sources said that the abductions were carried out by Daudawa in collaboration with two bandits with a strong following, on the orders of Shekau.
Daudawa, 43, was an armed robber and a cattle rustler before he turned to gun-running, security sources said.
He began bringing in weapons from Libya, where he had received training from jihadists, selling them to bandits, the sources said.
He forged an alliance with Boko Haram and became their gunrunner, taking weapons the group seizes from the Nigerian security forces in raids and ambushes and selling them to bandits.
The Rivers State Commissioner for Education, Dr. Peters Nwagor, has commended the orderly conduct of the ongoing 2026 West African Senior School Certificate Examination in the state and urged schools to sustain the standard.
Dr. Nwagor gave the commendation on Tuesday during a monitoring tour of selected secondary schools in Port Harcourt and environs where the WAEC exam is ongoing.
The commissioner, who was accompanied by directors and monitors from the Ministry of Education, said he was impressed with the peaceful atmosphere at the centres visited.
“The students conducted themselves properly and wrote their papers under conducive conditions. Invigilators and supervisors also performed their duties professionally,” he stated.
Nwagor noted that the Rivers State Government had invested heavily to ensure the smooth and credible conduct of the examination across the state
He urged candidates to reciprocate government’s effort by shunning all forms of examination malpractice and focusing on their studies.
“Government has done so much to ensure successful examinations in our schools. Students should take advantage of it by remaining focused,” the commissioner said.
While no case of malpractice was recorded in the centres inspected, Dr. Nwagor warned that any principal, teacher, invigilator, or official caught aiding malpractice would face strict sanctions in line with regulations.
He also commended school administrators, teachers, WAEC officials, and security personnel for upholding the integrity of the process.
Centres visited included County Grammar School, Ikwerre/Etche; Government Comprehensive Secondary School, Borokiri; Government Secondary School, Borokiri; and Pabod Model Secondary School.
Rivers State University and the Otonti Nduka Foundation for Values Education jointly hosted a two-day National Conference on 8 and 9 May 2026 to examine the state of values in Nigeria.
The two days conference held at Rivers State University convocation arena brought together academics, policymakers, legal experts and education leaders under the theme _“Trends and Challenges in Upholding Values in Nigeria.”_
The gathering focused on policy gaps, curriculum reform, and the role of ethics in public service and education.
The event opened on Friday with remarks from Vice Chancellor Prof. Chief Isaac Zeb-Obipi, who stressed the need to address declining moral and civic values across Nigeria’s education and public sectors. A book of abstracts for the plenary sessions was also presented to participants.
Key speakers included former Attorney General Chief Dr Kanu Agabi, SAN; NERDC Executive Secretary Prof. Shehu Salisu; Prof. Hauwa Imam, FNAE, of the University of Abuja; former Rivers SUBEB Chairman Ven Dr Fyneface Akah, ; former NIMASA DG Dr Hon. Dakuku Adol-Peterside; and RSU Director of ICT Prof. Sunny Orike.
Discussions centered on integrating values education into schools, tertiary institutions and public institutions, alongside the impact of technology on moral development among young Nigerians. Panel and plenary sessions produced practical recommendations for curriculum and policy reform.
On Saturday, the foundation marked its centenary with the unveiling of the book _Otonti Nduka in History_, launched by Chief Engr. Grant Offor, FNSE. The Nigerian Academy of Education held a ceremonial procession led by its President Prof. Olu Jegede and the Ikwerre Professors Forum.
In a communiqué, participants called for stronger collaboration between government, civil society and academia to mainstream values education nationwide. They recommended reviewing teacher training curricula and expanding digital platforms to promote ethical civic engagement, with the foundation pledging to share the outcomes with education authorities for implementation.
Dignitaries present included Ogbakor Ikwerre Worldwide as Chief Host, Prof. Emeritus Chief T. Uzodimma Nwala, the Ikenga 1 of Mbaise and first philosophy student of Prof. Otonti Nduka, alongside scholars and community leaders.
Amadi Akujobi