Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara said the abducted students of Government Science Secondary School Kankara were freed from the hand of bandits not Boko Haram as widely speculated.
Governor Matawalle who made the declaration in an interview with the BBC Hausa service monitored by this medium said, the bandits put down some laid down conditions during the negotiation which the government promised to look in to.
Matawalle said part of their agitation was that their cows are being killed unjustifiably and that members of the vigilante group have been intimidating and harassing their members.
The Governor said his administration will continue to dialogue with the bandits with a view to securing the country noting that any of the members of the armed bandits who refused to accept dialogue will face the wrath of the government.