The governor, who spoke from the Government House in Katsina, gave an update on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, five days after the abduction of the students, hundreds of kilometres (miles) from Boko Haram’s stronghold in northeastern Nigeria.

“The children are alive and we have not received any report that anyone had fallen sick. So we assume that all is well with the children,” the governor said.

“I was in touch with at least two of the students that escaped on Saturday. I was also in touch on Monday with two that came back.

“With the four that have been reunited with their families, none of them reported any of the students died.”

When asked who was responsible for the kidnap of the students, the governor said based on security reports at his disposal, bandits were responsible for the incident.

Although Masari didn’t rule out the possibility of Boko Haram terrorists involved in the operation, he, however, explained that some bandits were making contact with some terrorists.

“The reports we have and from the information available to us, this abduction was conducted, executed by the local bandits that are known to all of us.

“I am not discountenancing any foreign (connivance) either ISWAP or Boko Haram indirectly working with the bandits.

“For over one year, there are signs that some of the elements of the bandits are making contacts with some of the elements of the Boko Haram,” he added.

Earlier, Masari had during a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari in Katsina on Monday, said the bandits had contacted the state government.

He explained that security agencies had located the position of the children and expressed optimism that based on efforts made so far, “the outlook is positive.”

Governor Masari who was accompanied to the visit by his deputy, Manir Yakubu, noted that President Buhari was committed to the rescue of the schoolchildren.