El-Rufai withdraws his son from Capital School Kaduna after reports bandits planed to abduct him

GOVERNOR Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has had to withdraw his son from the famous Capital School in Kaduna metropolis after bandits planned to attack the famous institution and abduct him.

Founded in 1957 by the former premier of the Northern Region Sir Ahmadu Bello as an institution for the children of public officials, Capital School has always been the favourite primary school of the northern elite. Last year, Governor El-Rufai enrolled his son Abubakar Al-Sadiq El-Rufai, at the school.

Of late, however, bandits have stepped up the raiding of schools across northern Nigeria, demanding huge ransom fees for the release of the abducted students. Kaduna State in particular has been a lucrative hunting ground for these criminals who make the parents of the kidnapped pupils pay millions of naira for their release.

Governor El-Rufai, however, was fortunate to get intelligence that two bandit groups were planning to attack the school and secretly withdrew his son. He also had to withdraw his six year old daughter from the school as there was a risk that she may be abducted if the kidnappers could not find his son.

“My son and my daughter are registered in the school because his sister turned six and we had to register her. However, we have had to temporarily withdraw them for the security of the school because we got intercepts from at least two groups that are planning to attack the school to kidnap my son,” Governor El-Rufai added.

Following the incessant abduction of school children in the state by armed bandits, the governor vowed not to converse with the assailants. He added that even if his son is kidnapped, he would rather pray for him to make heaven than paying ransom.