Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has apologized over wrongfully disclosing that the actual number of abducted students in Government Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, was only 10, contrary to reports claiming over 300 students were affected.
Garba issued his apology via a post shared on his official Facebook page on Friday evening.
He wrote, "I apologize for the incorrect communication citing that only 10 students were kidnapped at the science school, Kankara
"This communication of numbers was provided by persons that should ideally know. These numbers were seen to conflict with what was available at that time.
"Please understand that this communication was in no way done to downplay the seriousness of the situation.
"Please accept my sincere apologies on this matter as we continue to move our great Nation Nigeria forward. Thank you."
Shehu's previous statement as reported by BBC Hausa Service, in a bulletin on Sunday, read: “The Government of Nigeria has said its security forces have surrounded the location where gunmen have kept schoolchildren abducted from a secondary school in Katsina State.
“Spokesman for the President, Mallam Garba Shehu told the BBC only ten children were remaining in the hands of the gunmen according to their colleagues who escaped from the gunmen.
"The number is below figures released by school authorities at the beginning. Garba Shehu said the school children who escaped said 10 of their friends were still with their abductors.”