SING Nigeria condemns abduction of Zamfara students, demands adequate security in schools
The Sustainable Initiatives for Nurturing Growth (SING) Nigeria has condemned the abduction of students of Government Girls Secondary School in Jangebe, Zamfara State by gunmen.
Gunmen, suspected to be bandits, had stormed the Zamfara school in the early hours of Friday and whisked away a yet-to-be-identified number of female students.
In a statement by Agi Victor, its Public Relations Officer, the group called for security vigilance in schools across the country so as to prevent a repeat of such indicident.
According the group, the periodic abduction of school students portends a serious danger to the future of Nigeria and the destiny of the younger generation.
“These targeted attacks at school students, is to say the least, highly condemnable, and should not be encouraged to continue. It is a traumatic experience that no Nigerian child should be subjected to, and it is high time the government and relevant stakeholders put a complete stop to these cowardly acts by terrorists, bandits and kidnappers,” it said.
“Schools are places for learning and education, and if the government agrees that we are as developed as we are educated, then, the security of our schools should be paramount.
“We must be wary of activities and moves that intend to make banditry and kidnapping lucrative to perpetrators. These are crimes which must be tackled with every sense of responsibility. Efforts at making crimes acceptable should be condemned and discouraged by the state in its entirety; and when we also encourage politicization of security through our statements and body languages, we end up emboldening criminals”.
The group called for immediate rescue of all victims of kidnapping and banditry as well as activation of relevant security operations that will reduce crimes to its barest minimum.
“We urged for prompt action by both the federal and government of Zamfara State that will lead to the rescue and release of the innocent school students. Relevant security apparatuses should be immediately deployed to ensure the safe release of the abducted students, while criminals are properly apprehended and brought to book,” it added.
“To guarantee the safety of students in the region, it is equally advised that a state of emergency be declared on school security in the northern region until government find a lasting solution to the incessant kidnapping which has become a high paying business for criminals.
“The Kagara school abduction is still fresh in our minds, with no report of their release at press time, it is therefore highly unthinkable that another attack could be condoned. We must be careful not to descend into a failed state where lives and properties are no longer safe.”
While it commended the move by President Muhhamadu Buhari to rule out granting amnesty to bandits and terrorists, it urged the President do be more decisive in actions that will put an end to their activities in the country.
“Criminals should be dealt with accordingly, and the nation should be mindful of encouraging others to take up arms in the believe that government will grant them amnesty”, it added.
