Follow Us on Google
• Time is long past to eradicate terrorism from Nigeria –ACF
From Noah Ebije, Kaduna
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered security agencies to leave no stone unturned until the school children abducted in Kuriga town in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State are returned to their parents unhurt.
This is even as the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has said it was high time the Federal Government eradicated terrorism and other forms of insecurity across the country, adding that, “the time has long passed when this terrorism is fully eradicated nation-wide.”
President Tinubu spoke through his deputy, Senator Kashim Shettima yesterday, when he paid a sympathy visit to Kaduna State over the kidnap of 287 schoolchildren at Kuriga.
The Vice President who held a closed door meeting with the Kuriga community leaders, parents of the kidnapped school children, security chief and state government officials also cautioned the media to be selective in their style of reporting in the interest of the security of the abducted children.
He pointed out that the very essence of the existence of government is to secure the lives and property of the citizens.
He, however, assured that President Tinubu is equal to the task on securing the nation.
The Vice President said: “I am here on behalf of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to emphasize with the government and people of Kaduna State over the sad incident of this kidnapping of our school kids.
“The President is personally pained by what happened and he has instructed the security agencies to leave no stone unturned until we return our kids to their parents. The President has spoken with the Governor of Kaduna State four times, he has spoken with me three times about far we have gone with the rescue of the kids.
“As rightly captured by His Excellency the Governor, the situation is pathetic. I will align with His Excellency and impress on our friends in the media, we are all stakeholders in the Nigeria Project, therefore we should be more circumspect, let us be more selective in our choice of reporting on the internet of our kids that are not currently with us. I want to commend you and solicit for your continuous support.
“Once again on behalf of my principal, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, please, accept our heartfelt sympathy over the incident that has befallen our people.
“Rest assured that the President is equal to the task. The very essence of the existence of government is to secure the lives and property of the citizens. He has tasked the entire security architecture in the country to get back our kids safely.”
Meanwhile, Governor Uba Sani while expressing appreciation to the Vice President over his visit, expressed optimism about the progress of the rescue effort of the abducted school children.
He also cautioned the media to be careful in their reportage to avoid risking the lives of the kids in captivity.
The governor commended the ongoing effort of the Federal government under the leadership of President Tinubu and security agencies to ensure safe returns of the children.
“We have been working with the community as well as the leadership of Chikun Local government to ensure that we collaborate with relevant security agencies to ensure all the children return back home safely.
“At this juncture, I will like to caution the media to be very careful with the way they make their report because at this critical time, we have to avoid politicizing this very unfortunate incident.
“What is important to us is the safe return of the children. He emphasised that Kaduna State government cannot allow any one to jeopardize the safety of the Children who were kidnapped,” the governor said.
Governor Uba Sani pointed out that the community had been cooperating because they were working with Kaduna state government and relevant security agencies towards returning of the children.
“I can say we are making some progress but we are not going to disclose what we have been doing, it is not about politics but about security and here in Kaduna we don’t politicize issue of security,” the governor added.
Meanwhile, the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has expressed sadness over the kidnapping of over 200 students and pupils in Kuriga town, Chikun Local Government of Kaduna State last Thursday.
ACF in a statement yesterday by the National Publicity Secretary of the Forum, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba, said abduction of school children is an onslaught on education in northern Nigeria in particular and the country as a whole.
“The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) is gravely saddened and exasperated at the news of the mass abduction by terrorists/bandits from the Local Education Authority (LEA) Primary School and Junior Secondary School, along with a principal at Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State, on Thursday, March 7th, 2024.
“As a sad reminder about their unabated presence, the terrorists struck again, attacked worshippers, and killed two persons during Friday prayers at Anguwar Makera, Kwasakwasa Community in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
“ACF believes that the time has long passed when this terrorism is fully eradicated nation-wide. ACF unequivocally decries and condemns the incidents in strong terms.
“We commend the fast response of the Kaduna State Government through a confidence and reassurance-building visit to the community by its officials, led by the State’s Executive Governor, Senator Uba Sani.
“We call on the security forces to adopt more effective strategies to end the scourge of terrorism in our communities. Clearly, a regional multi-pronged strategy against the terrorists operating in all contagious state is called for. In this regard, 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.
“ACF demands the immediate deployment of new measures including the much-discussed Special Schools Security Scheme, the Schools Vigilante Force, Anti-Kidnapping Squads, etc., across the terror-prone states.
“We call on the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) to go beyond perfunctory directives to the security forces to rescue the abducted students. The FGN must go beyond bland and sterile directives to insist on results within specific time frames.
“We are calling for the immediate and unconditional return of the abducted students and pupils, unharmed, to their parents/guardians.
“We commiserate with the parents/guardians of the pupils and students. ACF calls on all not to be discouraged and not to give the terrorists/bandits any chance to discourage and frighten us with their evil and cowardly tools of terror,” the statement said.
