Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) has condemned the abduction of 287 students and teachers from GSS Kuriga and LEA Primary School Kuriga in Kaduna State, describing the development as onslaught on education in Northern Nigeria, which must be tackled.
ACF, in a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Muhammad-Baba on Saturday, said the various cases of kidnappings around schools including that of Federal University Gusau in July last year are indicative of the very parlous state of security in the country, adding that it also showed that school children are a defensively vulnerable population.
The Forum however asked the Federal Government to go beyond bland and sterile directives to insisting on results within specific time frames.
It declared time has long passed when terrorism is fully eradicated in Nigeria.
The body said: “The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) is gravely saddened and exasperated at the news of the mass abduction by terrorists/bandits of about 312 students (20 of whom reportedly are orphans), 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 Angwar Makera, Kwasakwasa Community in Birnin Gwari local government area, Kaduna state. Together, the incidents looked planned in advance, a most discomfiting reality, given the enormous public resources being allocated to the security sector.
“As ACF had observed in July, 2023, when students of the Federal University Gusau were abducted (and sadly still in captivity), these disturbing incidents point to the very parlous state of security in the country, and specifically that school children are a defensively vulnerable population.
“ACF unequivocally decries and condemns the incidents in strong terms and hereby: Calls for the immediate and unconditional return of the abducted students and pupils, unharmed, to their parents/guardians; Commiserates with the parents/ guardians of the pupils and students.
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“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.
“ACF also extends sympathies to the Kwasakwasa community over the heinous attack on its people; Commends 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.
“Calls 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 these regards, 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; Calls 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; ACF believes that the time has long passed when this terrorism is fully eradicated nationwide.”