*Bandits kidnap scores of students in Sokoto community
*FG vows to rescue abducted women, school children in Borno, Kaduna
*Abductions of school children unacceptable, Obi insists
*We didn’t engage private negotiator to secure release of victims, Kaduna govt clarifies
*NEF, ACF condemn adoption
Chuks Okocha, Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja, John Shiklam in Kaduna and Onuminya Innocent in Sokoto
Worried by the spate of abductions by bandits in the North-west, the state governors in the sub-region said they have ignored their political differences and united against terrorists who have made the zone unsafe.
The governors made their positions known as suspected bandits yesterday kidnapped no fewer than 15 Tsangaya students in the Gidan Bakuso area of Gada Local Government Area (LGA) of Sokoto State.
The federal government has however vowed to rescue the scores of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) abducted at Wurge community in Ngala LGA, Borno State by a group of armed ISWAP terrorists as well as the school children kidnapped at Government Secondary School (GSS), Kuriga in Gwagwada District, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State, by a group of bandits.
This is coming as the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the 2023 general election, Mr. Peter Obi, has said it is unacceptable that Nigerian children will not be allowed to learn in a secure environment because of the activities of criminals.
Obi charged the “relevant authorities to put no stone unturned and ensure that children go to school and learn in a conducive atmosphere and citizens worship their creator and go about their businesses without hindrance.”
The Kaduna State Government has however debunked the allegation that it hired a private negotiator to facilitate the release of the 287 school children abducted by bandits in the state on Thursday, just as the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) and Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) have both condemned the abductions of the schoolchildren, calling on security forces to adopt more effective strategies to end banditry and terrorism ravaging communities.
Speaking yesterday at the graduation ceremony of 2,600 operatives of Sokoto State Community Guards Corps (SSCGC) in Sokoto, the state capital, which was attended by the North-west governors, the Chairman of the North-west Governors’ Forum and Governor of Katsina State, Dr. Umar Dikko Radda, stated that they have united against terrorists who are terrorising the zone.
Radda stated that the governors in the region had resolved to work together as a force to clear the region of terrorists.
“We have resolved to work together as a team, despite political differences, to save our people from the menace of insecurity,” he added.
“In the fight against banditry, there are no divisions such as All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), but only a unified North-west.”
He stressed that the well-being and progress of the region were the main concerns of the current leadership in the region.
Radda noted that with the launching of the community protection guards in Katsina, Sokoto, and Zamfara states, the remaining states of Kebbi, Jigawa, Kano, and Kaduna would follow suit.
In his speech, Sokoto State Governor, Ahmed Aliyu, expressed appreciation for the successful screening and training of the community guards to address insecurity in the state.
He reiterated his administration’s commitment to ending banditry in the state and improving infrastructural developments.
On their part the Governors of Bauchi State, Senator Bala Mohammed, and his colleagues in Benue and Plateau states, Caleb Mutfwang and Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia said terrorists do not discriminate in their operation, hence the need to collectively unite against them.
They urged President Bola Tinubu to deploy state resources in fighting insecurity.
On his part, the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, lauded the governors for their commitment to tackling insecurity in their domain.
He noted that those who kill others in the name of going to paradise will never see God, stressing that God will never support shedding innocent blood.
He enjoined governments and security agencies to investigate the immediate and remote causes of insecurity to enable them to find lasting solutions to it.
The eight governors of Kano, Zamfara, Kebbi, Kaduna, Benue, Bauchi, Katsina, Plateau states, and the Deputy Governor of Jigawa State attended the event.
Bandits Kidnap Scores of Students in Sokoto Community
Meanwhile, bandits have kidnapped no fewer than 15 Tsangaya students in the Gidan Bakuso area of Gada LGA of Sokoto State.
The incident, according to sources, took place at about 1a.m yesterday at the school premises.
Confirming the unfortunate incident, the proprietor of the school, Mallam Liman Abubakar, said, “They invaded the town around 1a.m., shot one person, and abducted a woman in the process.
“As they were leaving the town, they sighted our students rushing into their rooms and they kidnapped many of them.
“We have so far counted 15 who are missing and we are still searching for more,” he said
Also confirming the incident, a member, representing Gada-East constituency at the state House of Assembly, Kabiru Dauda, said he received a call from the village around 2 a.m that they were invaded by bandits.
“I reached out to the local government authorities and security agencies and I am sure they are doing something about it,” Dauda said.
When contacted, the spokesman of the Sokoto State Police Command, ASP Ahmad Rufa’i, said the command has deployed a team to ascertain the real situation.
“We have mobilised our men to ascertain what actually happened; I can assure you that we are on top of the situation. I will brief you on it,” he added.
FG Vows to Rescue Abducted Women, School Children in Borno, Kaduna
Reacting to the recent mass abductions in Borno and Kaduna states in a statement issued yesterday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammad Idris, described the abductions as utterly unacceptable and against all the fundamental values of humanity.
“While extending heartfelt sympathies to the families and communities affected by this distressing event, the President has directed security agencies to swiftly ensure the safe return of all abducted persons and the arrest of the perpetrators.
“The government will spare no effort in our pursuit of justice for the victims and in our determination to hold perpetrators of such heinous acts accountable to the full extent of the law,” Idris explained.
Abduction of Schoolchildren Unacceptable, Obi Insists
Also reacting to the abduction of schoolchildren in Kaduna, the presidential candidate of the LP in the 2023 general election, Obi, has said it was unacceptable that Nigerian children would not be allowed to learn in a secure environment because of the activities of criminals.
According to a statement by the Chief Spokesperson of the Obi/Datti Campaign Organisation, Dr. Tanko Yunusa, the LP presidential candidate wrote on his X handle platform: “Just yesterday, I was lamenting the horrible spate of killings, terror attacks, and abductions in the country, while calling for more concerted efforts to combat the menace.
Obi said the attacks, and abductions in Kaduna State were curious because the state has the highest number of military and other security institutions in the country.
“While every effort should be directed towards the safe release of the children, better security measures need to be implemented to avoid future occurrences.
“Insecurity has continued to bear down on every sector of our national existence, its negative impact on education will be more devastating for the nation.
“We are already contending with an army of over 18 million out-of-school children, arising from the closure of schools due to insecurity. Further attacks on schools will only aggravate these numbers, drive more children into the streets, and add to the insecurity situation of the country,” Obi added.
ACF Calls for Effective Strategies to End Terrorism
Meanwhile, the ACF has called on security forces to adopt more effective strategies to end banditry and terrorism ravaging communities.
In a statement yesterday in Kaduna, the forum condemned Thursday’s abduction of 287 school children and their teachers in LEA Primary School and Government Secondary, Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The statement signed by the spokesman of the forum, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, called for the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted children to their parents unharmed.
The forum also called for a regional multi-pronged strategy against terrorists operating in all contagious states.
“In these regards, the security forces should never dither or stay on the course of plain ineptitude and ineffectiveness that characterise the current strategy to contain and stamp out terrorism throughout the country,” Muhammad-Baba said.
It urged the federal government to “go beyond perfunctory directives to the security forces to rescue the abducted students.”
Abductions Violate Pupils’ Right to Education, NEF Laments
On its part, NEF has lamented that the abductions violated pupils’ right to education.
According to NEF, the recent attack and mass abductions have once again brought to the forefront the grave security challenges facing Northern Nigeria.
The forum, in a statement released yesterday in Kaduna by its Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, NEF lamented that the abduction of schoolchildren has now become a common occurrence in Northern Nigeria, posing a serious threat to education in the region.
The forum emphasised the need for a collaborative effort between the government, security agencies, and local communities to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians.
The statement added: “This reprehensible act not only violates the fundamental rights of these innocent children to education but also instills fear and anxiety among parents and educators.”
Boko Haram Kidnapped over 400 People in Borno, Amnesty International Alleges
In a related development, Amnesty International (AI) has raised the alarm that Boko Haram terrorists abducted over 400 people, including women and children in Borno State last week.
According to AI, the victims were Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) from Babban Sansani, Zulum, and Arabic IDP camps in Gamboru Ngala, Borno State.
However, the Borno State Governor, Prof Babagana Zulum, said on Thursday that the government was yet to ascertain the actual number of the abducted persons.
The mass kidnap occurred in the same week that terrorists abducted about 287 pupils from a public school in Kaduna State.
While reacting to the incidents in a statement at the weekend, the Director of Amnesty International Nigeria, Isa Sanusi, called on the federal government to secure the safe release of over 687 people abducted by gunmen in the two states.
It took a swipe at the Nigerian government over its perceived failure to end the continuous attacks by gunmen across the country.
It argued that the latest incident has exposed the current administration as having no plan to end the spate of violence and attacks by armed groups.
Amnesty International said in its statement that over 400 persons were kidnapped in Borno.
