Garba Shehu, who served as the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to former President Muhammadu Buhari, has opened up about the most difficult incident he handled while in office—the abduction of over 200 schoolboys in Kankara, Katsina State. In an interview with Trust TV, Shehu revealed how he was misled by the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army during the crisis in December 2020.
According to Shehu, when the kidnapping first broke out, he immediately reached out to the Army’s spokesperson to confirm the facts before making any public statements. At the time, the official told him that only fewer than ten students had been abducted, contrary to widespread reports suggesting nearly 300 boys were missing. Trusting the military source, Shehu communicated that version of events to global media outlets such as BBC World and others, who were urgently seeking updates.
He recalled the intense pressure he was under at the time, stating that all eyes were on Nigeria. As the reality of the situation became clearer, and it was confirmed that hundreds of students had indeed been abducted, Shehu took it upon himself to issue a public apology. Without consulting military authorities, he apologized directly to the government of Katsina State and to the parents of the affected children, acknowledging the earlier misinformation.
When asked whether the Army official who gave him the wrong data faced any consequences, Shehu admitted he was unaware of any disciplinary actions taken.
He also mentioned a similar incident that occurred in Borno State, where over 50 farmers were massacred by Boko Haram insurgents. Again, he said someone within the system tried to downplay the scale of the tragedy, misleading him as the official presidential voice at the time.
Shehu’s revelations highlight not just the challenges of crisis communication in high office but also raise concerns about internal accountability within Nigeria’s security apparatus. The former presidential aide’s openness about these sensitive moments offers a rare behind-the-scenes glimpse into how official narratives are shaped during national emergencies.
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