By Yemi Oyeyemi, Abuja
An unspecified number students of a private university, GreenField University, have been abducted from their campus along the Abuja – Kaduna road Tuesday morning.At least 25 students of another higher institution, Federal School of Forestry Mechanisation, Kaduna, are still in the custody of bandits.
Hours later, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) Mr Boss Mustapha was vowing that Nigeria will not be surrender to terrorists wreaking havocs in some parts of the country.
Rather, Boss Mistapha said that global approach with effective protective measures will be deployed to confrontally tackle the menace of the terrorists and bandits.
Recall that the spate of insecurity on the notorious Abuja – Kaduna road reduced with the posting of hundreds of female soldiers to the axis.
And from Senator Shehu Sani, former Senator for Kaduna Central Zone, comes a word of wisdom on Twitter for schools and businesses on that axis: “The fresh report that Bandits have attacked and kidnapped many students at the Greenfield University along Kaduna-Abuja road is yet another tragedy.Proprietors of schools within this axis need to read the signs.Even most of us have abandoned our farms to the care of God.”
The bandits to the two years old school attacked the school at about 2.30 a.m.
The SGF spoke in Abuja as a Special Guest of Honour at the Peace Walk Against Incessant Invasion and Kidnappings of students in the Educational Institutions.
The peace walk round some streets in Abuja, put together by the Peace Corps of Nigeria (PCN) in collaboration with African Union and other stakeholders, is meant to re-awaken the consciousness of Nigerians to the menace of banditrt.
Boss Mustapha whose speech was delivered by the Director of Nigeria National Volunteer Services in the SGF office, Mrs Olusola Dada, appealed to well meaning Nigerians to collaborate with the federal government and its security agencies in the fight against terrorism and banditry.
He noted with regret that a staggering 10.5 million school children have been forced out of schools, in addition to several schools already shut to prevent their students from being kidnapped for ransom.
Specifically, the SGF noted that the North East Region of the country has been worst hit by insecurity, adding that the situation has been compounded by the region’s low school enrolment before the banditry.
He pleaded with Nigerians not to wait until they fall victims before rising to the challenge adding that an injury to one should be considered as injury to all.
“We must not allow bandits and terrorists threaten our unity. Safe school initiative of the federal government will be strengthened to safeguard our children in their schools.
He praised the Peace Corps of Nigeria for taking the initiative of bringing the plight of the vulnerable to the front burner and assured that the government will collaborate more with the Corps to enable it achieve its aims and objectives.
Earlier, the National Commandant of the Corps Ambassador Dickson Akoh had noted that 1179 school children were abducted in the recent past by bandits in various schools.
Akoh said that his organisation is worried about the development because the targets of the bandits initially were politicians and captains of industries for ransom, before they shifted to innocent school children.
He appealed to the government to engage the Peace Corps of Nigeria in the fight against terrorism and banditry to enable members contribute their quota to tame the monster of banditry in the education sector.