By Francis Sardauna
The Coalition of Northern Groups (CNG) on Sunday, said the spate of killings, kidnapping and other nefarious activities bedevilling Katsina State had turned the entire state into a house of horror with alarming rate of internally displaced persons (IDPs).
The coalition added that the security challenges orchestrated by bandits, kidnappers and cattle rustlers have constituted a threat to the economic growth and sustainable development of the state.
The North-west Zonal Chairman of the Coalition, Mr. Jamilu Aliyu, while addressing journalists on the abduction of school children at Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, said the incident has exposed the weakness of the state government.
THISDAY reports that bandits had on Friday night attacked Government Science Secondary School, Kankara and kidnapped scores of students.
Aliyu, while describing the attack on the boarding school as inhuman, barbaric and regrettable, stated that the bandits now roams local markets in the state with AK-47 rifles slung on their shoulders.
Consequently, he urged the state government and security agencies to rescue the abducted students within the shortest period of time or face massive protest by members of the coalition.
He said: “The culmination of these security challenges has for the past few years turned the entire state into a house of horror with violent killings reported on a daily basis, communities displaced with formal and informal IDP camps spreading all over the state.
“While condemning in totality this barbaric act and call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the culprits, we equally stress the inability of the government to protect those young, innocent, vibrant students from this horrible attack as uncalled for.
“Failure of the government to rescue the missing students within a shortest period of time, CNG will not hesitate to mobilize hundreds of thousands on the streets of Katsina State for a continuous protest, until the students are fully rescued, even if it is going to cost us our lives.
“While we commend the efforts of Katsina State Government for its immediate response, we equally condemn in strongest term, the inability of the president to visit the scene, despite being him in the state.”
