It is thought-provoking that two rape cases in Kaduna State ended with the rapists sentenced to castration and death by hanging. The Commissioner, Ministry of Human Services and Social Development, Hajiya Rabi Salisu, on March 5, told journalists that the ministry had secured a conviction on June 7, 2024 “wherein the defendant was convicted in a two counts charge of rape and incest under Section 258 1 of the Penal Code Law 2017 as amended and sentenced to death by hanging and surgical castration.”
She said the ministry also secured a conviction on February 6, 2025 “wherein the defendant was convicted on a 2 counts charge of rape under Section 258 1 of the Penal Code Law 2017 as amended and sentenced to death by hanging and surgical castration.”
She did not provide further details. The death penalty and castration are very extreme punishments for rape and are very controversial. Indeed, critics argue that they are “sensational measures.” Kaduna State had amended its laws to prescribe both punishments.
However, the commissioner also said the ministry secured another conviction on February 24, 2025 “wherein the defendant was convicted on a 2 counts charge of rape under Section 258 of the Penal Code Law and sentenced to life imprisonment.” It is unclear why the punishment was different in this case. Life imprisonment is not as severe as castration and death by hanging.
Rape is regarded as violence against women, and it is a crime under Nigerian Law. It is defined as forcible unlawful sexual intercourse without a woman’s consent. Section 357 of the Criminal Code reads: “Any person who has unlawful carnal knowledge of a woman or girl, without her consent, or with her consent, if consent is obtained by force or by means of threat or intimidation of any kind, or by fear of harm, or by any means of false and fraudulent representation as to the nature of the act, or in the case of a married woman, by personating her husband is guilty of an offence called rape.” The punishment for rape under section 358 is life imprisonment.
Rape is said to be one of the most prevalent human rights violations in Nigeria. The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) notably received 11,200 reported cases of rape in 2020.
According to a report by Amnesty International, despite the Nigerian authorities’ declaration of a “state of emergency” on sexual and gender-based violence, rape persists at crisis levels with most survivors denied justice, rapists avoiding prosecution, and hundreds of cases of rape going unreported due to pervasive corruption, stigma and victim blaming.
However, even in the context of justice, castration and death by hanging in the Kaduna State rape cases may well be overkill.
Indigenes of Lere Local Government of Kaduna State under the auspices of Concerned Natives of Lere, have vehemently rejected the position of another native group saying that, indigenes of Lere are not members of Southern Kaduna People’s Union (SOKAPU).
The Nation had reported the reaction of a group known as Lere Local Government Unity Association Forum, to the publication of names and pictures of National and Kaduna State Assembly members representing Lere in the programme of event for the 2024 annual Southern Kaduna Cultural Festival (SKFEST).
The Forum stated categorically that, Lere Local Government and its people are not part of Southern Kaduna, hence it was wrong to have listed their elected representatives as members of SOKAPU.
However, the Coalition of Concerned Natives of Lere Local Government at a World Press Conference in Kaduna on Monday said, natives of Lere who are predominantly Amo, Piti, Kinugu, Kahugu, Akurmi, Gure, Dingi, Janji, Lemoro and Jere tribes are originally Southern Kaduna people, irrespective of the political demarcation that put them under Zine 1 (Kaduna North Senatorial Zone).
Addressing journalists at the SOKAPU National Secretariat, the Coalition represented by Comrade Engr. S.I Mori; Acting SOKAPU Youth Coordinator Lere, Mr. Stephen Sale; Acting SOKAPU Youth Secretary, Lere and Mr. Bitrus Elisha, Representative of CDAs at SOKAPU National Body said, “We, the natives of Lere local government, are part of SOKAPU NATURALLY, all skewed demographies in attempt to suggest otherwise notwithstanding.”
According to Mori, “Today, we have come out again to reaffirm our earlier position and strongly state unequivocally that our unwavering and non-negotiable membership to SOKAPU and Southern Kaduna as nicely captured in our press statement is sacrosanct.
“It is good that we have been tasked by Barr Idris’ group to wake up from our decades of slumber, even as we still wait to hear from all the political office holders for whose heartache Barr. Idris’ group took medication!
“These have not, will not and cannot remove the Southern ‘Kadunaness’ from Southern Kaduna people whether in Lere, Kauru, Chikun, Kajuru, Kaduna South or ALL the other LGAs for that matter; it is a matter of the heart. For the records, SOKAPU is a sociocultural association and the constitution of Nigeria is not ambiguous about that, so why the heartache?
“As natives of the area, it is one of our fundamental rights and moral obligation to belong to SOKAPU. This is a matter of choice and we have chosen to align with SOKAPU as a people, the more reason why as usual, we took part in the 2024 SKFEST and went ahead to also invite our political leaders whom we elected into various offices, only for us to get this reaction from a group. Indeed, we are taking note.
“The political office holders from Lere LGA that were referenced in the programme of events for the grand finale to have come from Southern Kaduna could not debunk it, perhaps, for political reasons and that may explain why we have a different hand and voice on the matter in view.
“We are a people bonded by traditional, cultural, historical and customary affinity. This is attested to by available and verifiable historical facts nicely captured in the archives dating back to migration periods. The Nok civilization dating 500 years back is there for confirmation.
“Before Usman Dan Fodio’s jihad of 1804, where were the great grandfathers of the writers of the December press statement? Little wonder, the thrust of the press statement under interrogation essentially stands on one crippled leg – political reason. In contrast and for emphasis, our membership to SOKAPU precedes this politically motivated press statement; neither can we be cowed by it to disown SOKAPU or leave her. She is for us a mother from whom we have sucked the milk of being more humane, considerate, fair and above all, we as natives, are more comfortable identifying with SOKAPU and our roots in Kaduna South Senatorial District, unlike what we keep suffering from Zone 1 for decades without visible benefits or dividends of democracy. The facts are there for empirical verification. These facts are verifiable and we challenge any investigative authority to check it.
“Can Barr. Nasiru Bello Dembo and Mallam Ahmed Idris publish the names and members of their association with its ethno-religious composition? Indeed, the writers of the document under review only wrote to defend our elected delegates at all levels that they do not belong to Southern Kaduna Senatorial District, which is intrinsically true; but it is NOT true that we the natives of Lere LGA are not part of SOKAPU. Indeed, we are and Southern Kaduna is our ancestry; the more reason why our membership to SOKAPU has made Barr. Idris’ group jittery with serious nightmare.
If Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed visits Mauritania, his ancestral home for a family meeting while retaining his Nigerian citizenship at the same time, we are safe to conclude that Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed has set a precedence on this; therefore, we, the natives of Lere LGA have the moral obligation to follow suit. Indeed, what is good for Dr. Hakeem Baba -Ahmed and others ought to be good for the natives of Lere LGA. And let it be on record that we affirm that we are more at home with our kinsmen in Southern Kaduna Senatorial District and by extension, Gurara State, if the conversation for its creation continues, and no one can and should deny us from identifying with our kinsmen.
“We the natives of Lere LGA are more comfortable with a region that has been promoting unity, peace, patriotism and mutual coexistence, and what is wrong with that? May God give Senators Ibrahim Khalid and Sunday Marshall Katung of the Northern and Southern Senatorial Districts respectively more strength, wisdom and good h ealth to take Lere LGA back to where it was decades ago,” he stressed.
Normalcy and peace have found residence in Kaduna State for about two years now. How this was possible in a state that sunk into many years of unmitigated conflagration and notoriety of the worst kind as a theatre of tears and blood, ethnic nationalism, killing field and hostage taking, make Nigerians feel like this is just another dream.
To me, the transition of Kaduna from a rogue state where life was “solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short,” (apologies to Thomas Hobbes), post-2023 to where the walls of the intense acrimony and hatred erected on the foundations of religion, power, politics and ego crumbled in such a record quickness as we all can see.
This piece is an ode to the dawn of peace and tranquillity in Kaduna State. And a salute to the present political leadership in the state in recognition of the fact that the existential troubles that menaced the residents each day in the state between 2015 and 2023 have gone the way they came.
I celebrate the government for its political will to tame the aggravated insecurity of lives and properties in the state by applying the right measures towards peaceful coexistence of its people of diverse ethnicities and creed. Kaduna residents were a people stalked by death at every turn for several harrowing years.
In rejoicing with the people of Kaduna State for the new dawn, we must not blow off the matter of what Governor Uba Sani did or is doing differently that brought about the resolution for peace among the once warring people of the state and blunted the sharp and bloody swords of the destroyers. Answers from the interrogation would not only provide leadership responses on proper management of complex societies, but also let us all into how not to be a leader.
One of the first profound steps Governor Sani took toward restoration of peace upon assumption of office was to bring leaders of the aggrieved communities and tendencies in the state to a negotiating table, where their grievances were understood and addressed with genuineness and sincerity of purpose. These included leaders within Kaduna Central and Southern Kaduna axis, which were the theatres of the endless bloodbath. These leaders, despite being strong and respected voices in the socio-political dynamics of the state and commanding large followership were allegedly brushed aside and left in the cold in the pre- Sani era.
The governor took notice of this fundament error and before carrying on as the leader of the state, Sani ensured that he first off, looked into the matters of the side-lined, the marginalized, the relegated, the abandoned and disempowered in the state and worked out a charter of peace, equity and fairness with them in the interest of the state.
He took his pacifist approaches some notches further by deigning to sit at the negotiating table with the tribe of bandits in the state and forging a peace deal with them. This resulted in the bandits’ leaders voluntarily surrendering their weapons along with their followers. Though this measure drew flaks from critics and cynics alike, it has paid dividends in terms of peace and tranquillity in the state.
Another aspect of its dividends is that the popular Birni Gwari Cattle Market in the state, shutdown by bandits for over a period of 10 years has been reopened and bustling in full session with no criminal incidents recorded so far. Nigerians can recall that Birni Gwari was in the past an axis of evil in the state and in fact, the most notorious violent crime corridor in the state, rendered off-limits to residents of the state by bandits.
The Cattle Market was obliterated by incineration. After rebuilding the market, Governor Sani, who at the occasion of its inauguration emphasized his government’s commitment to building trust and engaging stakeholders reaffirmed his government’s comprehensive rehabilitation programme of anti-social elements in the state in collaboration with the federal government adding that he was dedicated to working tirelessly to engage all stakeholders and building bridges of trust in the state.
The efforts, he said, were simply geared to reaffirm the unwavering commitment of the state government under his leadership “to building a safer, more prosperous state for all our people,” noting that “For too long, our communities have endured untold hardship. Farmers were unable to access their farms. Families terrorised by kidnapping and abduction. Their lives were disrupted by violence.”
Besides the fact that over 200 kidnap victims have been released and reunited with their families and loved ones. Having reformed the former bandits in the state, the governor now channelled to actively protect their communities.
Also remarkable is that despite coming on board on Muslim-Muslim ticket, has maintained a principled stand not to exalt the people of one religion over the other in terms of appointment to sensitive and critical positions unlike what was seen in the past. This approach, coupled with the even distribution of developmental projects, has ensured that the loud cries of marginalization that characterized the state have been consigned to the dust heap of history.
It is a dawn of peace and a journey from turmoil to tranquillity for the people of Kaduna State. The shadows of insecurity in the state that once loomed large, casting a pall over the land, has been neutralized to the barest minimum.
Four local governments stood as no-go zones, their streets echoing with the silence of fear, their people held hostage by the spectre of violence. It was a time when hope seemed distant, like a flickering star in a stormy sky.
But today, the narrative has shifted. Through the unwavering collaboration between the state and the National Security Adviser (NSA), the tides have turned. Peace, like a long-awaited rain, has begun to quench the parched earth of Kaduna. Hundreds of kidnapped victims, once lost in the clutches of despair, have been brought home, their chains of captivity broken.
Governor Uba Sani, with gratitude in his voice, acknowledges the pivotal role of President Bola Tinubu in this transformative journey. It is a testament to what can be achieved when unity and resolve converge, when leadership becomes a beacon guiding a people out of darkness.
Kaduna, once a land under siege, now breathes the air of renewal. The road ahead remains long, but the first steps toward a brighter future have been taken. And in this dawn of peace, the people of Kaduna find not just safety, but the promise of a tomorrow filled with hope.
As the stated in the media recently, “When I came in as Kaduna State governor, there was insecurity in the state. There were some four local governments you can’t even enter but today, because of the collaboration of the state with the NSA, peace has returned. Over 200 kidnapped victims we inherited have been released.”
Governor Uba Sani has assured grape farmers that Kaduna State will continue to provide seedlings, mechanisation, training and support services to them in order to improve their yield per hectare.
The governor made the promise when he met members of the Grapes Producers Processors And Marketers Association of Nigeria (NGRAPPMAN), led by its National President, Alhaji Abdullahi Dalhatu at the weekend.
He pledged that Kudan Local Government will not only be a grape-farming hub in the country but Kaduna State Government will also support businesses around the value-chain.
According to reports, Kudan Local Government Area of Kaduna State accounts for 85% of the country’s grapes production, largely due to its favourable climatic and soil conditions.
Governor Uba Sani thanked the association for promoting Kaduna as a major grape-producing State, assuring members of his government’s readiness to support the sector.
Ahead of next Saturday’s Local Government elections across Kaduna State’s 23 councils, Deputy Governor, Hadiza Sabuwa Balarabe has urged members and supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) to maintain peace during and after the elections.
Speaking at APC campaign rallies in Lere and Soba Local Government Areas over the weekend, the Deputy Governor expressed confidence in the party’s victory but emphasized the importance of avoiding violence that could disrupt the election process.
At the Township Stadium in Saminaka, the headquarters of Lere Local Government, Dr. Balarabe encouraged APC members to turn out in large numbers and mobilize others to vote, ensuring the party retains the chairmanship and wins all 11 councilorship seats in the area.
Responding to enthusiastic chants from the crowd predicting an early APC victory, she urged voters to follow through on their promises by casting their ballots early for the party’s chairmanship candidate, Jaafaru Ahmed, and the 11 councilorship candidates.
She told Lere people that, Governor Uba Sani is happy with the people of the area, because of their peaceful coexistence, assuring that, the government will continue the development projects in the Local Government as long as the people remain peaceful and law abiding.
In Soba, where Muhammad Lawal Shehu, the former Chief Press Secretary (CPS) to Governor Uba Sani is the APC Chairmanship Candidate, the Deputy Governor said, Soba is originally an APC Local Government, as such, the mandate must be reclaimed through the ballot.
She said, from the Saturday Local Government elections, the APC will start reclaiming its mandate and in 2027, the House of Representatives seat will also be reclaimed. She however urged the people to come out and vote for Shehu, popularly known as Molash as Chairman and all the 11 Councilorship candidates of the APC.
Speaking on his programmes for the people of Soba Local Government Area, Molash said he would be addressing the infrastructural deficit the Local Government has been facing under the administration of PDP Chairman.
Noting that, agriculture is the mainstay of Soba Local Government, Molash said he has marshaled out a concrete modern agricultural projects in his blueprint, which he said will boost agriculture and the economy of the area.
He also said, he will complement the efforts of the Governor Uba Sani led government, which is reconstructing and remodeling general hospitals across the State, by renovating and improving on the existing Primary Health Centres (PHCs) in the area.
Molash expressed optimism that the APC will win the the Saturday election from the chairmanship seat to the chairmanship seats in all the 11 wards that make up Soba Local Government Area.
Other dignitaries who spoke at the rallies like Secretary to the State Government, Dr AbdulKadir Muazu Meyere, House of Representatives Member Representing Lere Federal Constituency, Ahmed Munir and the Kaduna State APC Secretary, Yahaya Baba Pate urged the people to vote for the APC Candidates, assuring that, such will ensure accelerated development at the grassroots.
The day was still young when news broke about the incident. Before noon, the news had spread like wildfire about the abduction of hundreds of pupils in two schools in Kaduna State. The first question someone asked on hearing about it was: “again?”. The man in question could not fathom what happened as he muttered under his breath: “I thought we had gone past this as a country”.
We have not. The kidnapping of pupils from their schools still happens and it occurred about two times or more in the past week, even after the Kaduna incident. With what happened in the past in Chibok, Borno State (2014) and Dapchi, Yobe State (2018), it was thought that the country had learnt a lesson and would do something to plug the loopholes that give rise to such incidents.
Lightning, it is said, does not strike the same place twice. But this kidnapping lightning has struck schools more than twice, not only in the north, but also in some parts of the south. Remember, the Babington Macauley Anglican Secondary School in Ikorodu, Lagos incident in 2016? As a nation, the people live in constant fear. Parents’ minds are not at rest when their children go to school. They go on their knees praying for their safe return home.
Even at home, the family’s safety is not guaranteed. But, they are sure of one thing. Whatever is going to happen will be in the presence of all. At least, there will be no person at the door bearing the kind of news which no family wishes to hear especially when a member of the household is not in. An unknown face at the door most times means bad news and every family knows that and gets agitated when they see one at anytime of the day.
What happened at the two-in-one school (secondary and primary) in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government of Kaduna State, where 287 pupils were kidnapped last Thursday was preventable. How can there be a school in such a remote place without the appropriate security measures in these days of uncertainty and danger lurking in every corner? The school is in a bush, wide open and exposed, without a fence. It could even be a thoroughfare which the villagers and every other person take unhindered.
I have not stopped imagining how the government left those pupils and their handlers exposed to danger like that. They were left to their own devices. There is no Nigerian alive today who does not know how bad the security situation is and how kidnappers take advantage of it to abduct pupils from their schools.
So, why did the authority not take the prevailing situation into account and ensure the safety and security of those pupils? Why are those in power always wiser after the fact? There is no gainsaying the fact that leaving the school exposed like that was a disaster waiting to happen. Can any of our leaders send their own children to such school which lacked basic facilities, such as a security post and perimeter fencing, to stop intruders from getting in at will?
It is a sad commentary that incidents like these still happen despite our bitter experiences in the past. It means that we have learnt nothing from Chibok, Dapchi, Ikorodu and those other places where kidnappers overran schools and went away with pupils. What then is the purpose of the Safe School Initiative Project (SSIP), which was conceived in the wake of the Chibok abduction during which 276 schoolgirls were seized? Many of them, including Leah Sharibu, are still in captivity.
Should the nation continue to waste money on SSIP when it has failed woefully in the discharge of its duty? There is an urgent need to revamp it to become more alive to its responsibility of stopping school kidnapping. This kind of incident must not happen again under the watch of all our security agencies. It is high time the President read the riot act to their heads to shape up or ship out. Enough is enough!
• DHQ: intelligence showed terrorists’ movement • ‘Our family lost 34 people’ • NEMA: 85 killed, 66 injured • Tinubu sympathises, orders probe of incident
The Army yesterday apologised for its error in bombing worshippers in Kaduna State on Sunday night.
A routine air strike by the Army intended to attack terrorists hit some civilians during a religious celebration at Tudun Biri village, Afaka ward of Rigasa District in Igabi Local Government Area.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered a thorough probe to prevent a recurrence as Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani did on Tuesday.
The President also sympathised with the victims.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) said 85 persons were killed.
The Northwest zonal spokesman, Halima Suleiman, said 66 others were injured.
Northern States Governors’ Forum demanded a comprehensive investigation, describing the error as “a heartbreaking tragedy.”
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Ja’amatul Nasiru Islam (JNI) and the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, mourned the victims and called for a probe.
The Army expressed regrets over the error, describing it as “a very disheartening occurrence.”
Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.- Gen. Taoreed Lagbaja, tendered the apology when he visited the community.
He was accompanied by principal staff officers from the Army Headquarters and the General Officer Commanding, One Division, Maj.-Gen. Valentine Okoro.
Lagbaja, who commiserated with the victims, donated N10 million to the survivors after visiting them at the Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital in Kaduna.
He prayed at the deceased mass grave site in the village, which is about five kilometres west of the Kaduna International Airport.
He told reporters: “On Sunday, while the Nigerian Army UAV (Unarmed Aerial Vehicle) platforms were conducting armed reconnaissance around the vicinity of Riyawa, Ruma, the drones observed movement of people suspected to be bandits.
“Having trailed them for some time, the decision was taken to strike based on the observation of some tactics usually employed by bandits.
“Unfortunately, the report we got thereafter revealed that it was innocent civilians in Tudun Biri that the drone carried out the strike on.
“We have already set up an inquiry. The enquiry committee will ensure a holistic review and recommendations that will be worthwhile going forward.”
He said the Nigerian Army would provide support to the community to alleviate their suffering and sought the residents’ support with useful information.
District Head of Rigasa, Alhaji Aminu Idris, said over 80 people were buried.
He also confirmed that the environment was infested by bandits.
He urged the Army to continue doing its best in protecting lives and properties while hoping that victims and their families will be compensated.
In a statement by the Army spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, the military said Tudun Biri and adjoining villages were infested with bandits.
He said: “Troops were carrying out aerial patrols when they observed a group of people and wrongly analysed and misinterpreted their pattern of activities to be similar to that of the bandits, before the drone strike.”
He said the COAS was in Tudun Biri to convey sincere regrets and unreserved apologies on behalf of the Nigerian Army to the District Head and people of the community, as well as the government and people of Kaduna.
According to the spokesman, the findings will “guide the Nigerian Army in meticulously and professionally seeking and applying lasting solutions to identified lapses and deficiencies in both the human and artificial intelligence variables that will forestall future recurrence”.
The Defence Headquarters, in a statement by the Director of Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, said unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) deployed to the area noticed the movement of terrorists.
He said: “On December 3 at about 2200hrs and based on untoward activities by terrorists, the Nigerian Army UAV detachment observed movement of terrorists at Ligarma, a terrorist-infested area of Kaduna.
“Aerial surveillance captured the movement of groups of persons synonymous with the terrorist tactics and modus operandi.
“The observed advance of the terrorists that were gathered posted a threat to key infrastructure within reach of the untoward activities.
“Accordingly, the threat was eliminated to prevent the terrorist from unleashing terror on innocent civilians.”
According to Buba, terrorists often embed themselves within the civilian population.
“Nevertheless, the Nigerian military does its best at all times to distinguish between civilians and terrorists,” he said.
The high command said the military views every civilian death in the course of operations as a tragedy, with extensive measures taken to avoid them.
“One such measure taken by the military is to continually give precise instructions to communities.
“For instance, communities are to always alert troops of their activities particularly when such a community is known to be infested with terrorists and their sympathisers.
“These instructions are intended to enable the military to distinguish between friendly and untoward activities,” the DHQ said
It added that the military would continue to operate in line with international law as it always has done.
“It will also continue its determined and cautious progress in eradicating terrorists from our land.
“Accordingly, we will continue to find innovative solutions to the challenges faced in the conduct of operations.”
‘I lost 34 family members’
A resident, Idris Dahiru, said 34 of his family members were killed.
Dahiru, in an interview with BBC Hausa, said: “Our annual Maulud celebration was shattered by unexpected airstrikes.
“The first bomb exploded without warning, killing innocent people, including women and children, some victims were torn apart by the blast.
“As we rushed to aid the injured, the jet returned, unleashing a second bomb, this time, many of those who had come to help were among the casualties.
“My family alone has lost 34 members in this tragedy. We have 66 loved ones receiving medical care at Barau Dikko Hospital.”
Minister of State for Defence, Bello Matawalle, said the Armed Forces will not relent in fighting criminal elements and adversaries.
Speaking when he visited the victims, he said: “We are not going to relent; we must give those terrorists a bloody nose.
“We will keep fighting them till we succeed in the course of ensuring security and safety of the lives and properties of the citizens in the entire country.”
Tinubu order probe
President Tinubu ordered a swift and thorough investigation into the bombing.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the President sympathised with the families of the victims.
It reads: “President Bola Tinubu sympathises with the families of victims, the people and the government of Kaduna State over the bombing mishap.
“President Tinubu describes the incident as very unfortunate, disturbing, and painful, expressing indignation and grief over the tragic loss of Nigerian lives.
“The President directs a thorough and full-fledged investigation into the incident and calls for calm while the authorities look diligently into the mishap.
“The President also directs swift and comprehensive medical attention for surviving victims while praying for the repose of the souls of the deceased.”
Northern Governors demands probe
Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum, Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, demanded a comprehensive investigation.
He asked the Nigerian Army to wage war against banditry and terrorism with the highest level of professionalism and care.
Yahaya, who is the Gombe State governor, made the NGF’s position known in a statement through the Director-General (Press Affairs), Ismaila Uba Misilli.
The statement reads: “Governor Yahaya extended his condolences to the government and people of Kaduna State during this profoundly distressing time, describing the loss of innocent lives as a heartbreaking tragedy.
“The governor emphasised that while the fight against banditry and terrorism remains crucial, it must be executed with the highest level of professionalism and care to prevent such heart-wrenching accidents.”
Yahaya asked for an immediate probe.
“He strongly called for a comprehensive and thorough investigation into the unfortunate incident.
“It is imperative for the authorities to take prompt and necessary measures to not only address the immediate concerns of the victims and the affected community but also to prevent any future occurrences.
“In these trying times, Governor Yahaya assures the affected families and the community of Tudun Biri as well as the people of Kaduna of the support and commitment of the Northern Governors to ensuring justice, healing, and security in the region.”
Probe calls grow
The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Ja”amatul Nasiru Islam (JNI) and the 14th Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, also joined the probe call.
In their separate statements, they expressed sadness over the attack.
ACF, in a statement by its Secretary General, Prof Tukur Muhammad Baba, said: “ACF is perplexed and deeply disturbed that such an operation could be contemplated and executed in this densely populated area, suggesting an inexcusable, scandalous and plausibly incompetent failure of intelligence.
“It is indeed trite to say that sound intelligence is the fulcrum of military operations.
“While the army authorities have come out with the usual platitude of ‘investigating’ the matter, there is a need to be more forthcoming on the details, even if to douse the feeling in many quarters that there was an initial attempt to downplay the incident except for the vigilance of some members of the public.
“ACF deeply mourns and hereby condoles all families of the dead. We pray that God Almighty grants the dead peace. ACF also prays for quick and full recovery for those injured.”
Jama’atul Nasiru Islam, led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar III, called for a full investigation.
A statement by JNI Secretary General, Prof Khalid Abubakar Aliyu, said: “It is with heavy hearts that we express our deepest condolences and sympathies to the families, as well as the loved ones of the deceased victims, and we fervently pray for the swift recovery and healing of those injured.
“Nevertheless, the purported bombing of Muslims faithful by the supposed aerial patrol, resulting in the reported loss of no fewer than 100 innocent lives is a reprehensible and deeply condemnable act.”
Former Emir Sanusi called for a transparent investigation and adequate compensation for the families.
He said: “This unfortunate incident which led to the loss of dozens of lives and serious injury to scores of others has left the entire country in shock.
“It is, however, consoling to note that the military authorities have accepted full responsibility for this event. This is a positive change from previous instances in past administrations of callous attitude of denial.
“We also note that the government of Kaduna State is working with agencies to support the injured and assist families of the victims.
“On behalf of the entire leadership of the Tijanniya order in Nigeria, I express my condolences to all those who have lost loved ones in this incident and my prayers that almighty Allah accepts their shahada.
“I also pray for a speedy recovery of the wounded. I hereby call on all members of Tijanniya and indeed all citizens to remain calm and persevere in this trying period which is a test from almighty Allah.
“I call on everyone to give full cooperation to the authorities as they act to manage this distressing situation.
“I call on the authorities to ensure that a thorough investigation is carried out, the process and results of which should be made transparent to the public with appropriate compensation to victims and steps taken to avoid a reoccurrence. May Allah bless our country Nigeria and grant us peace, Amin.”
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the February 25 election, Atiku Abubakar, said it was an “unfortunate incident”.
“The incidence of miscalculated air strikes is assuming a worrisome dimension in the country.
“We need to develop counterinsurgency strategies that will insulate the civilian population from tragic incidents of this nature.
“I call on the authorities to launch a thorough investigation into this tragedy to avert future occurrences,” he said.
For whatever it is worth, the decision of Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to enroll his son in a public school in the state is commendable.
Even if it is for political reasons and cheap publicity as noted by some critics, it is good that he had to commit whatever amount he spent in renovating the school to make it suitable for his son and other students of the institution.
If more top government officials can be compelled for whatever reasons to renovate and provide better facilities for public schools, the glory of the schools may be restored.
To prove his critics wrong about his motivation, El-Rufai will need to ensure that more schools in the state, in addition to others the government has renovated, get the attention they need. What is good for his son will also be good for more children in the state who are not privileged to quality facilities and teaching.
For so long, most public schools, including the ones most top personalities attended while growing up, have been neglected and are no more suitable for learning. The facilities in most cases are in a state of dis-repair despite the yearly allocation for education and there are not enough teachers for the students.
Over time, private schools which many cannot afford to pay for have become the vogue. Setting up private schools has become business due to the failure of the governments to provide basic standard education comparable to the kind offered long ago that was good enough to seek higher education.
I attended public primary, secondary and university like many of my contemporaries and wish the government can sustain such tradition where no one will be compelled to enroll his or children in private school due to lack of the learning environment of the past.
At a briefing by a former state governor, one of his aides proudly announced that his boss was a product of public education up to his higher institution and promised that the administration’s plan was to make public schools in the state attractive. Unfortunately, the governor did not live up to the promise.
Even the secondary school the governor attended is said to be in a bad state that the old students are ashamed of it and will not be willing to send their children to the school. The old students association has funded some new structures but a lot still needs to be done to make it come close to what the school used to be.
Instead of renovating old schools in the state, the former governor built model schools which fees were more than that of private schools. The buildings of some of the model schools are lying waste and the new governor is considering what to convert them to.
Contrary to their claims, many state governments have not done enough to raise the standard of particularly primary schools which are supposed to provide the right foundation for children.
Public primary schools have been neglected to the extent that only the children of the very poor attend them. The unfortunate pupils are obviously doomed as the quality of education they get is not worth much. Their teachers are among those who don’t regularly get paid across the country as local governments which should pay them have been starved of funds by state governments.
Even many of the average private primary schools do not have the required capacity to provide good education as the motive for establishing them is more commercial than providing social service.
I have always believed that the good of all will be better served if the governments at all levels are committed to carrying out their responsibilities.
Provision of education is one of the basic responsibilities of government and there is need to ensure that it is not only provided, but the quality needs to be good enough and affordable.
Many states claim to be providing free education at primary and secondary school levels, but the truth is that what is offered, where they do, is very poor quality.
It will be difficult to guarantee a good future for our children when they don’t have access to good education.
AS the 300 persons evacuated from the Kaduna Islamic School were handed over to the state government, the police has said that, centre lacks operational license.
Kaduna State Police Command spokesman, DSP Yakubu Sabo who confirmed the development in Kaduna on Saturday evening, said the evacuated persons, including children would be reunited with their families by the state government.
Some parents of the evacuated persons had on Friday protested against the raid of the Islamic center, where majority of its students were found in shackles.
The parents equally demanded that the police release their children to them, claiming that, they took their children to the centre for correctional purpose.
Meanwhile, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Sabo who reacted to the claims of the protesting parents that they took their children to the centre, said their claim does not matter to the law, but the fact that their children were dehumanized matters.
He suspected that, the school asked some parents who were loyal to it for the protest to enable them get soft landing while facing the law.
According him, “the children have been handed to the state government for reunion with their family, while the suspects arrested are undergoing investigation.
“Whether or not the patents were the ones who handed their children over to the Centre or not, there is limitation to what can be done to human being, even if you are the father.
“According to law, even if the father subjects his child to an inhuman treatment, there is a level where he will be held liable for his action.
“Besides, nobody is questioning whether the parents took their children there or not, what we are saying is that, inhuman treatment was meted out to these children, which is violation if their right as stated in the constitution.”
On the authority of the centre, DSP Sabo said, “These people have no license to operate as well. The agencies of government that are supposed to supervise them are not put into consideration. As far as we know, they have not entered into any documents to show that they are licensed.
“They are concurrently running both educational and correctional program which is supposed to be different institutions with different licenses. If you have license to give correctional program, that in itself does not give you order to do educational program and even if you are licensed, that does not give you a go ahead to dish out social maladjustment.
“These are all issues that border having required manpower, skill to undergo this program. All these are not there.” He said.
The PPRO however said that, the Command will soon complete investigation into the entire matter, after which the arrested operators of the centre will be charged to court.
PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday condemned the alleged torture and child abuse of students at an Islamic centre at Rigasa, Kaduna, which the police raided on Thursday.
Over 300 adults and children, many of whom were chained by the authorities of the school, were freed by the police.
State officials have been busy over the last 48 hours trying to locate the parents of some of the children.
The Police, who have been holding the inmates in protective custody since Thursday, handed them over to the Kaduna State Government on Saturday for rehabilitation.
Buhari condemned rights abuses in the country whether of adults or children.
He hailed the police for their “discovery of this horrific hub and arrest of suspected operators of the unedifying, so-called reform institution.”
He added: “We are glad that Muslim authorities have dismissed the notion of the embarrassing and horrifying spectacle as Islamic School.
‘‘The place has indeed been described as a house of torture and a place of human slavery.”
But the president declared that the panacea to child abuse lies in education, saying children “will be safeguarded from roaming the streets and protected from all evil influences that assail idle hands and idle minds, when they are sent to school.”
Garba Shehu, the president’s spokesman recalled how Buhari, while inaugurating the National Economic Council for the year 2019/2023 at in Abuja, warned that keeping children away from school was a criminal offence.
“He also stressed the need to take seriously and enforce the statutory provisions on free and compulsory basic education, citing Section 18(3) of the 1999 Constitution as amended, which he says places on all of us ( public leaders and political office holders ) an obligation to eradicate illiteracy and provide free and compulsory education.
‘‘He added that Section 2 of the Compulsory Free Universal Basic Education Act provides that every government in Nigeria shall provide free, compulsory and universal basic education for every child of primary and junior secondary school age.
“It is indeed a crime, he stressed, for any parent to keep his child out of school for this period.
‘‘While the government at the center has introduced a number of programmess, including the school feeding programme which is now in 32 states in the country, with 9.8 million children in its roll to encourage school enrolment and enhance the health and learning capabilities of pupils, State and local governments are obliged under the law to ensure that every child of school age goes to school throughout the crucial nine years of basic education.
‘‘To stop unwanted cultural practices that amount to the abuse of children, our religious and traditional authorities must work with the federal, state and local governments to expose and stop all types of abuse that are widely known but ignored for many years by our communities.’’
Officials in Kaduna State have been busy since Thursday trying to locate the parents of some of the freed inmates of the centre for reunion.
The police particularly asked families from Ghana, Mali and Burkina Faso to come and pick their wards freed from the centre.
However, some of the parents did not wait to be contacted before rushing to the centre to see their children.
Some others went to the centre on Friday to register their disapproval of the police action.
They said they willingly sent the children to the place for education and rehabilitation for the deviants among them.
They disagreed with the police that the students were being tortured or sexually abused at the centre.
Police handover rescued children
The Kaduna State Police Command said yesterday that it had handed over to the state government the 300 inmates of the centre.
The Command Public Relations Officer, DSP Yakubu Sabo told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the over 300 inmates were handed over to the state government on Friday for reunion with their families.
He, however, said that seven suspects earlier arrested were undergoing investigations.
The PPRO defended the police raid on the centre, saying it was based on reports of torture and abuse, not whether the inmates were willingly taken there by their parents.
“Whether or not they were the ones who handed their children over, there is limitation to what can be done to human beings, even by parents.
“According to law, even if it is the father that subjected his child to inhuman treatment, there is a level where he will be held liable for his action.
“Nobody is questioning whether the parents took their children there, what we are saying is that inhuman treatment is meted out to those children in violation of the law.
“The school in question has no license to operate as well. The agencies of government that are supposed to supervise them are not put into consideration. As far as we know, they have not tendered any document to show that they are licensed.
“The school is concurrently running both educational and correctional programmes which are supposed to be different institutions with different licenses.
“If you have license to give correctional program, that in itself does not give you order to do educational program.
“Even if you are licensed, it does not give you the right to go ahead without having the required manpower and skills to carry out the programme. All these are not there.”
A parent, Maryam Fatika, who had four of her children at the school told The Nation on Friday that “there was nothing going wrong in the school because we took our children there willingly.”
“We don’t know why the police raided the place,” she said, adding: “My children have never complained to me about abuse or anything. But we are aware that they were punished if they did something wrong because they are very dangerous and stubborn children.”
Another parent, whose son has been a student there for six years said :”The boy became a threat to us his parents so we took him to the Islamiyya school for rehabilitation and to God be the glory, he has changed.
“I used to take food to him and I have never seen anything wrong going on in the school.
“My worry now is that we don’t even know where they took our children to which is why we are appealing to the government and the police to return our children to us.
“We are also okay with the way the children are being handled by the Islamiyya authorities.”
Hajiya Shafa’atu Zakari who has six children in the school said her children were drug addicts who had gone out of control at home hence her decision to take them to the centre.
Her words: “we took the children to the school because we didn’t know what to do with them. “Four of my children were among the students evacuated by the police. We demand their release because the founder of the school Malam Ismail is doing everything possible within Islamic teaching to rehabilitate them for us.”
