President Bola Tinubu remains optimistic regarding the safe rescue of victims abducted from both an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) Camp in Borno and a Government Secondary School (GSS) in Kaduna State.
In the face of recent rampant kidnappings in Northern Nigeria, President Tinubu conveyed this assurance through the official channels on Friday, extending solidarity to the affected families and vowing justice.
Over 400 individuals have been kidnapped in the northern region just this week. The turmoil began with armed assailants storming an IDP camp in Ngala, situated in Borno State near the Cameroon border, a hotspot for terrorist activities. Approximately 200 individuals, predominantly women, were taken from the camp.
Subsequently, armed men numbering in the hundreds invaded the premises of the GSS, which also accommodates a primary school, in Kaduna State. They abducted 287 individuals, with only 25 students managing to escape and reunite with their families.
Tinubu, after receiving briefings from security chiefs on both incidents, expressed his firm belief in the eventual rescue of the victims. He reiterated that nothing short of their freedom is acceptable, emphasizing that justice will be swiftly and decisively served upon the perpetrators.
Furthermore, Tinubu issued directives to security and intelligence agencies for the immediate rescue of the victims and ensuring the prosecution of the criminals behind these reprehensible acts. He extended his sympathies to the families affected by the abductions, promising swift efforts to reunite them with their loved ones.
This surge in kidnappings, particularly targeting school children, underscores the escalating threat posed by criminals in Northern Nigeria. Since 2014, more than 1,680 students have fallen victim to such abductions by Non-State Government Actors (NSGA), with many of them being female students. Despite the federal government’s implementation of various safe school initiatives, insecurity continues to jeopardize the safety and education of children in the region.
