Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, has reacted to the abduction of school students and staff by bandits in Niger state.
We had earlier reported that, gunmen suspected to be armed bandits on Wednesday invaded Government Science Secondary School in Kagara, Niger State.
According to reports, they gunmen kidnapped an unknown number of staff members and students, killing one of the students
The armed men were said to have invaded the school around 3 am.
“At about 3 am last night, bandits attacked Government Science College in Kagara, killing one and abducting an unknown number of students. Some staff members, their spouses, children were also abducted by the bandits,” a source told SaharaReporters.
Reacting to the recent kidnap, Senator Lawan noted that such incidents are peculiar to schools located in the northern part of the country and could discourage parents from allowing their children to acquire Western education.
The Senate President remarks was a sequel to a motion brought by Senator representing Niger East, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa, over early morning abduction of students of Government Science Secondary School, Kagara in Niger State.
He Said;
“Almost all incidents of abducting students from schools happen in Northern Nigeria, and we all know how much efforts our leaders of yesterday, probably right from independence, worked so hard to ensure that children go to school in the northern part of Nigeria.
“With incidents like this, we will be reversing all the gains that were made in convincing parents and wards to take their children to school.
“So, there’s need for our security agencies and government to ensure that we come up with a strategy of ensuring security in schools, because with this spate of kidnapping or abductions, definitely there’ll be that negative adverse effect on the desire and willingness of parents to allow their children to go to schools.
“And, the consequences of not going to school are better imagined in 21st century Nigeria or 21st-century world.
“So, the Service Chiefs-designate have their work and take clearly cut for them. Part of what they are supposed to carry on board is how to secure our schools in addition to so many other challenges that they have to deal with.
“I believe that the states have to be carried along because the schools belong to the states. So, that partnership and cooperation between the security agencies and the states must be adhered to, so that the states cooperate fully with security agencies of government.
“With that, the whole country will be praying and waiting for our abducted children to be returned back to their parents secured and well.”
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