The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Abducted school girls

  • Mother of abducted Lagos school girl slumps, hospitalized

    Mother of abducted Lagos school girl slumps, hospitalized

    The mother of one of the abducted school girls from Babington Macurlay Junior Seminary (BMJS) Friday slumped and was rushed to a hospital in mainland Lagos.

    Timilehin Olosa, Tofunmi Popoolaniyan and Deborah Akinayo were abducted from the classrooms on Monday night by suspected pipeline vandals numbering about 10.

    The woman said to be the mother of the girl who has taken ill in the kidnappers’ den since Tuesday allegedly collapsed after four days of dry fasting.

    It was learnt that the woman’s health deteriorated after the girls were not freed on Friday morning as promised.

    The woman was said to have had high hopes following assurances from security agencies that the girls would be rescued Friday.

    She was said to have been rushed to a hospital where she was treated and released after several hours.
    Meanwhile, The Nation gathered that the kidnappers have insisted on the N10million ransom, despite pleas by the woman’s family, who it was learnt have raised a million.

    “The woman had high hopes that the girls will be rescued last night but when the kidnappers were said to have insisted on N10million, the woman whose family has raised a million Naira collapsed.

    “She was rushed to a hospital in the mainland where they leave. She was hospitalised but much later, she was returned home. She has also been fasting since the girls were kidnapped. So far, the kidnappers are still insisting on N10million. They have refused all pleas to accept the one million Naira the family has raised,” said a source.

    When contacted, the Lagos State Police command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police said she was not aware of the collapse, adding “that information is not at my disposal.”

    She assured that the rescue efforts have been intensified, adding that the police was hopeful the girls will soon be reunited with their loved ones.

  • Reps to IGP: Find three School girls abducted in Lagos

    Reps to IGP: Find three School girls abducted in Lagos

    The House of Representatives Wednesday urged the Inspector General of Police, Solomon Arase to intensify efforts to ensure that the three girls abducted from Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School in Ikorodu, Lagos State are released.

    The House also urged the Police and other agencies to step up strict surveillance in Ikorodu and all schools in the state to avoid similar occurrence.

    The Green Chamber also resolved to send a powerful 10- member delegation to Lagos on the issue.

    The resolution of the House was sequel to a motion on matters of urgent public importance sponsored by a member Babjimi Benson with the title: “Urgent Need to Seek the Release of Abducted Female students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School in Ikorodu.”

    According to the lawmaker, the girls were abducted on Monday, February 29 by heavily armed gunmen at about 8pm after they scaled the fence of the school.

    “More than 24 hours after the sad incident, the Nigeria Police Force and other concerned agencies of government have not been able to reunite the abducted girls with their parents,” he said.

    According to the lawmaker, “the incidence of insecurity in Ikorodu Federal Constituency is becoming worrisome as the security agencies of government are finding it difficult to protect lives and properties.”

    A member, Ekpoattai Ime while contributing noted that it is sad for a mother not to know where her child is adding that it is against God and humanity.

    She said: “I urge this Honourable House and the IGP to intensify efforts to recover the girls. Girls are now kidnapped everyday in Nigeria, even women, this is sad.”

    Another member, Aisha Dukku in her contribution, said it is important that the House visits the school and the parents.

    Sequel to the adoption of the motion, the House raised an ad-hoc committee of 10 members from the Standing Committee Police Affairs, Public Safety and Intelligence and Education.

    The mandate of the committee is to visit Lagos State to investigate the abduction of the three school girls; visit the State Commissioner of Police, the school, parents of the girls and the Lagos State Governor and report back to the House as soon as possible.

    In a related development, the Bayelsa State caucus in the House of Representatives while confirming the release of the 14 year old Ese Orusu that was abducted from Bayelsa Wednesday said the full weight of the law must be applied on all those involved in the abduction.

    The lawmakers that included Diri Duoye, Sodaguno Festus-Omoni and Fred Agbedi expressed their determination to work with other lawmakers and stakeholders in the review and domestication of the Child Rights Act.

    Meanwhile, Solomon Ahwinawhi (PDP, Delta), who represents Ughelli North, Ughelli South/Udu Federal Constituency of Delta state, where the parents of the abducted girl hails from defended the Emir Kano, Lamido Sanusi, saying the monarch’s role in the incidence should not be condemned.

  • Ambode assures quick rescue of abducted school girls

    Ambode assures quick rescue of abducted school girls

    Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode has assured the public and parents of the three pupils of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary,  Ikorodu who were forcefully abducted by  unidentified gunmen  Monday night that their children will be rescued safely as his  government along with  various security operatives in the state are making frantic efforts to ensure  the safety and  rescue of the  pupils.

    The Governor gave the assurance Wednesday when he sent a high powered delegation from the State Executive Council meeting to visit the management of the school to express government sympathy to the parents of the affected pupils and the management and pledged the commitment of his government to security of lives and property in the state.

    Ambode who was represented by his deputy, Dr. Idiat Oluranti Adebule explained that the state government along with various security operatives in the state have swung into action since the sad occurrence on Monday night, assuring the public especially the parents of the abducted pupils that their wards would soon be rescued safely and returned back to their parents.

    The governor stated that the visit became necessary as a responsible government to express sympathy with the parents of the victims and to share in the pains that the absence of their children would have caused them.

    “We are here to share your pains and to express our sympathy over this sad occurrence and above all to are assure you that the state government is working tirelessly with other security agencies to ensure the safety and early rescue of the pupils, and am very confident that in no distant time, these girls will be rescued and returned back to their parents,’’ he assured.

    While conducting government officials round the premises, the Principal of the school , Ven. Ola Oluwa Adeyemi  explained that the gunmen gained entrance to the school premises around 8pm having broken the fence from the back and started shooting sporadically to scare the students and teachers away.

    He said all efforts by the management to rescue the abducted pupils from their abductors was not successful as they were overpowered by the sophisticated guns and other dangerous weapons they had on them.

    He however commended Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode and the Lagos State police command as according to him, the governor immediately moved into action as soon as a call was put across to him.

    “They came with sophisticated guns and weapons and they started shooting sporadically to frustrate us from rescuing our pupils abducted, as everybody was running for safety, I got the Governor on phone about 3 hours later and he contacted the Commissioner of Police and other top security agencies and they (security agencies)  all responded swiftly, ever since then, they have been working tirelessly to ensure that we secure the release of the abducted girls and in God we place our hope that the girls would return back to this school safely,’’ he  stated.

  • Abducted school girls: DHQ hands over information flow to Borno govt

    The Defence Headquarters has directed the Borno State Government to take charge of information on progress report on the search for the 234 abducted Chibok school girls whose whereabouts remained unknown.

    In a statement yesterday by its Director of Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, the DHQ said most of the pieces of information being given the DHQ by various sources on the abducted girls were mischievous, spurious and sensational.

    The statement said: “In view of the need to provide daily updates on the search for the abducted girls, the Defence Headquarters has directed that henceforth, progress reports on the search will be handled by the Borno State Government.

    “The security forces on ground in the state have been directed to coordinate with the State Government and provide them with necessary information on the search for the girls.

    “The Nigerian Armed Forces understands and appreciates the concerns being shown by all citizens in and out of the country on the unfortunate incident of abduction of some female students from Government Secondary School Chibok, Borno State.

     “Alongside the search for the girls, the military is currently committed to various security operations in most parts of Northern Nigeria where troops are deployed in forests and mountains combating terrorists and armed gangs of various descriptions”.

    The statement reaffirmed the unflinching resolve of the Armed Forces to continue to discharge its responsibility in defending the territorial integrity and the people of Nigeria in the most professional manner.

    “This will apply in the search for the missing girls which is currently ongoing with other security operations nationwide.

     “A lot of information has been received in the efforts at securing the freedom of the girls. The Armed Forces assures all Nigerians that it will continue to appraise every information received during this operation accordingly.

    “Unfortunately however, most of the information, some of which have been mischievously publicised for sensational reasons, have always turned out to be spurious and of no operational use.

    “Disturbingly, some of the reports have been mischievously sensationalised and publicised with a view to heightening tension and inflicting more pain on the nation as envisaged by the terrorists.

    “Nevertheless, the forces will remain disposed to receiving, analysing and applying all relevant information on this issue.

    “While it will not relent in its efforts in this search, the Armed Forces is mindful of the fact that some of the information with which it has been inundated are actually a ploy to distract it from its goal of dealing with terrorism and other violent crimes aimed at crippling the nation.

    While the military’s efforts at recovering the girls are continuing, the Government of Borno State whose Commissioner for Education has been giving a regular update on the incident at the initial stage, is enjoined to continue in order to satisfy the necessity for information flow”, the statement added.

    The DHQ described the Borno State government as being appropriately placed to continue regular press briefing on the search for the girls, for the reason that the incident occurred in its facility.

    According to the military, this is in line with best practices in other climes, more so as all agencies of every tier of government are expected to continue functioning in the state.

    “Accordingly, security agencies on ground in Borno State will continue to interact and support the State Government officials in their efforts to inform the public on the Chibok incident and progress in the search without any prejudice.

    “The Nigerian Military has always subscribed to the importance of information flow to the public and will continue to sustain this policy in all its internal security operations”, the statement concluded.