By Abdullahi M. Gulloma Abuja
Acting President Yemi Osinbajo has condemned the recent abduction of women in Borno state, saying it was atrocious and cowardly. In a state meant issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity in the Office of the Vice President, Mr. Laolu Akande, Osinbajo sympathised with the families of the abducted women and assured that the federal government would spare no efforts to ensure the safe and speedy return of all the victims. The Acting President, therefore, directed military and intelligence agencies to takeall necessary steps including coordinating with international partners to rescue the abducted women, and further tighten security in and around Borno state.
He said the ongoing efforts by the security agencies, including the establishment of additional military and police bases in some parts of the country, would continue. He said government would also continue the ongoing improved intelligence gathering in order to sustain the significant breakthroughs in combating kidnapping and banditry in the country. Meanwhile, the United Nations (UN) has called on the federal government to increase its investment on the development of women and promotion of peace in the country.
The call was made by the Deputy Secretary General of the UN, Amina Mohammed, when she met with the Acting President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday at the State House in Abuja. “I am honoured to be leading a delegation with the focus on peace and development of women. With me we the chief executives of the UN women, we also have our special representative on women and conflict, we also have with us, our partner the AU, the special adviser also on peace, women and development. “All our regional heads partnering together with the Ministry of Women Affairs and the support of the minister of National Planning is an exciting time to be here because really, we are talking about the implementation of the agenda 2030, but 2063 and for us, it’s about how do we support Nigeria and it’s a very difficult context to do more and to do scale so everybody feels it”.
