Barely 68 days after the abduction of some students in a boys’ school in Kankara, an outskirt of Katsina state, bandits struck Wednesday in a secondary school in Kagara, Niger state, and in the process abducted 27 students and 12 others, including some staff members and their families.
The development also came 24 hours after an elder statesman and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar(rtd), warned that the nation was headed towards “a point of no return.”
Abubakar, also an indigene of Niger state, gave the warning Tuesday following the myriad of security challenges across the country, with the Shasha market clash between the Hausa/Fulani and Yoruba traders in Ibadan, Oyo state as a point of reference.
And worried by the spate of insecurity, therefore, the Nigerian Senate asked President Muhammadu Buhari to declare a state of emergency on security.
The resolution came after debates on the latest abduction of students in Niger state, put side by side with similar others across the country.
Distraught Bello speaks
Addressing journalists in Minna, the state capital Wednesday, the visibly distraught governor of the state, Abubakar Sani Bello lamented the spate of insecurity in the state. He confirmed that 27 students and 12 members of staff were kidnapped by the hoodlums, while one boy was shot dead in the early morning raid on Government Science College, Kagara, headquarters of Rafi local government area of the state.
The governor who spoke after security meeting, said the kidnap happened Wednesday at about 2.00am.
The governor gave the name of the student killed as Benjamin S. Doma, saying the entire student population of the school was 650.
“While we are still on the matter of kidnap of about 40 passengers on board of NSTA bus on Sunday, another incident occurred at about 2pm on Wednesday during which 27 students, 3 staff and 12 members of their families were kidnapped. Regrettably, one student Benjamin Doma was shot dead during the attack,” he said.
He regretted the impunity with which the armed bandits operate in the state in recent times, saying “there is serious tension in the land.
“It seems the number of the bandits is increasing. We are calling on the federal government to do something urgent to save the situation, otherwise, it will become worse.
“I am concerned because of the impunity, courage, and intensity of the operations.”
Bello said the deplorable security situation generally in the country stemmed from the failure of governments at all levels in the past, calling on the federal government to help deal decisively with the situation.
To this end, the state government has decided to close all boarding schools in the area until further notice.
The governor said he was aware the bandits had released a video demanding for payment of ransom for the release of the 40 kidnapped passengers out of which 8 were freed.
He, however, said government was not inclined to pay any ransom but to explore other options to secure their release.
“We are looking at all options; it is not our conviction to pay ransom. We are aware that they use the money to buy more weapons as you could see in the video, the type of arms they carried are not made in Nigeria. We have made contacts, security agents are working and at the moment, we are deploying what we have to secure the release of all the persons kidnapped by the bandits,” Bello said.
He appealed to residents of the state to continue praying for the safe return of the students, saying “I cannot go to sleep knowing that we have our kids and women in the hands of kidnappers.”
In his account, the school’s principal, Danasabe Ubaidu said the bandits came in military camouflage.
He said the student killed identified that they were not soldiers and tried to raise the alarm before he was shot down.
The principal said he called the DPO but before the arrival of police, the bandits had left with the students.
FG sympathises
Meanwhile, a federal government delegation has paid sympathy visit to the governor.
The delegation assured everything would be done to ensure the release of all the victims.
The four-man delegation comprised Minister of Information Lai Mohammed, Minister of Interior Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, National Security Adviser Baba Gana Muguno and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Mohammed Adamu.
Speaking during the visit, the minister of information, Alhaji Mohammed said:
“We have been sent by the President to assure the people and government of Niger state and Nigeria that the administration will leave no stone unturned to ensure the safety of lives and properties in the country.
“We are glad at what we have witnessed, that the state government is exploring kinetic and non kinetic options to ensure the safe release of the victims. On our part as the federal government, we will deploy all resources to ensure the safe release of the victims.
“We want to assure you that we will not surrender its sovereignty but will employ all means to ensure the safe release of all the victims across Nigeria.”
Also speaking, NSA Muguno said “the incidents are becoming too frequent. Within the span of 90 days, we have these incidents, one in Kankara and one here. This gives a lot of people the feeling that something has to be done.
“The President is ready to apply whatever it takes to make Nigeria safe and secure. We will apply the non kinetic measures. Although, that we are looking at non kinetic measures does not mean that security won’t carry out their statutory measures- which is to safeguard the security of Nigerians. For as long as this government remains in this office, it will have no choice but to apply every measures to secure the lives of the people.”
Also speaking, IGP Adamu described the incident as a cause of concern to all, assuring that the security agencies were strategising on how to bring the students and other abducted victims back safely.
He said the same strategy used during the Kankara attack would be employed in this case.
“What is happening in Niger state is an issue of concern. A lot of strategy is put in place. We are working to ensure that the students are returned unharmed.
“We are using the same strategy as we used in the past case but it won’t stop us from apprehending those who committed the act. We have deployed four units of mobile police men to reinforce security in the state,” Adamu said.
In his response, the governor appreciated the federal government’s concern even as he said the state was doing its best to confront the rising security challenges and also secure the release of the victims of both cases.
“I am confident that with the effort so far, that we will secure the release of the children and other victims at the shortest possible time,” Bello said.
Senate tasks Buhari
And weighing in on the ugly development in Niger and other parts of the state, the Senate Wednesday unanimously urged President Buhari to urgently declare a state of emergency on insecurity.
The call was sequel to a motion moved to that effect by Senator Mohammed Sani Musa ( APC Niger East ) on the Kagara incident.
Senator Sani Musa who anchored his motion on orders 42 and 52 of the Senate Standing Rules , said exact numbers of the abducted students and teachers from the over 1,000 populated school were still being counted .
He said the armed bandits who abducted the pupils and teachers of the affected school , invaded the place at about 2:00am in military uniform and overpowered the security guards with their sophisticated weapons.
He lamented that the problem of insecurity confronting the country and in particular, Niger state, was worsening on daily basis with incessant kidnapping and abduction of people from different parts of the state by armed bandits.
He said: “Just last Sunday, February 14, 2021, about 57 passengers travelling between Kotangora and Minna were kidnapped with only 10 released so far , aside 34 others who were earlier abducted about two weeks ago while travelling from Suleja to Minna.
“These ugly incidences are unfortunately showing that Implementation of provisions of sections 14(2b) of the 1999 constitution ( as amended) ,is not been done by government .
“The section stipulates that the welfare and security of citizens shall be the primary responsibility of government , making government at all levels, owing the people the duty of providing adequate security at all times.”
Speaking along same line, Senator Birma Enagi APC Niger South ), said it would not be wrong to declare that the government at the centre is incompetent as far as the issue of security is concerned.
He said : “Since 2019 when this 9th Senate and by extension, the 9th National Assembly came on board, issues bordering on insecurity have been debated on numberless occasions and resolutions adopted for relevant authorities to stem the tide, but rather than abating , the problem is worsening.
“Where are we heading to in the country with the problem of insecurity at hand . What else as lawmakers are we supposed to do that have not been done ?
“Obviously, serious signs of incompetence are already shown by the government at the centre to the bewildered Nigerians as far as the problem is concerned, making amendment of the constitution very necessary in giving the state governments, required powers on security across the federation.”.
The lawmaker further said even at the level of economy, the federal government was not addressing the issue as expected.
He said: “Instead of creating economic activities that will be beneficial to the people in terms of jobs creation and productivity-driven empowerments, evaporating palliatives are what are being given.”This is clearly a disheartening situation requiring very urgent solution.”
In yet another contribution, Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi (APC Niger North), another lawmaker from the state, said Kagara local government where the affected school is situated , has been one of the hot beds of armed banditry attacks in the state.
“The Kagara incident is no doubt, another sad event. The ugly trend is very worrisome requiring very urgent and strong actions from relevant authorities”, he said.
Resolutions
In adopting the prayers of the motion,the Senate urged President Buhari to, as a matter of urgency, declare a state of emergency on Insecurity in Nigeria as well as consider and implement recommendations of its Ad-hoc Committee on Nigeria’s Security Challenges dated March 17th 2020.
Expressing similar worry, Senate President Ahmad Lawan, said strategies of ensuring securities in schools must be urgently put in place to avoid discouraging parents from sending their children to school .
“All the abductions that had taken place in schools since 2014, took place in the northern part of the country which is very worrisome. Worrisome in the sense that if the ugly trend is not well checkmated, it may lead to reversing of all the gains that had been made from embracement of western education in that part of the country.
“Though the security agencies have been trying their best in confronting the challenges but they need to come up with new strategies that will give Nigerians the required results in terms of adequate security,” Lawan said.
