By – Abba Hamisu Sani
Africa-Press – Nigeria. As Nigerian insecurity continues to deteriorate ,there is a need for the government of Nigeria under President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to accept responsibilities and be ready to put practical measures in place to manage the situation instead of resorting to blame games.
The recent kidnapping of 280 School Children in Kaduna State north west and 200 people from an Internally displaced Persons Camp (IDP) in Borno State north east is a serious source of concern to all Nigerians that are battling with other economic challenges at this moment.
The Kaduna Kidnappers invaded the Kuriga area of Chikum Local government ,shooting at their victims before taking away at least 280 of the pupils and teachers from the schools.
It was in the same Kaduna State that bandits invaded Gonin -Gora in the same Chikum Local government area recently ,which prompted the residents of the area to barricade the Kaduna Abuja Expressway in protest against the abduction of an unspecified number of people in the area .
The Kidnaping of Kaduna school children occurred barely 24 hours after insurgents abducted 200 internally displaced women in Borno State .
The women were kidnapped in Ngala, the headquarters of Gambarou Ngala Local Government area, while fetching firewood in the bush.
Federal Government reactions
The Presidency on Sunday 10th of March 2024 described the recent cases of kidnapping across the country as efforts by subregional geopolitical forces conspiring to undermine the government of President Bola Tinubu.
The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, made the allegation when he spoke on TVC’s Politics anchored by Femi Akande .
On the programme titled ‘Counting the Cost of Presidents Tinubu’s Reforms,’ Ngelale revealed that the Federal Government is already receiving support from the United States for the release of students kidnapped in Kaduna.
“I will say this: Across the north, we understand that some of the sub-regional geopolitical forces that are currently at play are actively conspiring against the stability of Nigeria,” the President’s spokesman said.
Government is on the Top of the situation
However, Ngelale affirmed that the Federal Government is on top of the situation and has received support from the US to secure the release of the school children and address the regional forces at play.
“We understand that and we are not sleeping. We are responding to it and we are doing it in a concerted way, with our neighbors.
And it is worth noting that the United States government has also pledged its assistance to ensure that there is a full return of all of the schoolchildren who were kidnapped recently in Kaduna.
But the point is we are going to continue to intensify our collaboration not just within the region, but internationally to make sure that some of the regional actors that are conspiring against our nation are brought to justice and ultimately silenced in the future,” he explained.
The presidential spokesman lamented that with increased security in major communities in the Southeast and Southwest, the Federal Government is working to extend coverage to vulnerable far-flung settlements in the north.
“First of all, the President has been very clear that this is an administration of no excuses. If you look at other parts of the countries that were in flames before he took office, such as the Southeast and parts of the Southwest for example, you will know the level of work that has gone into securing our nation.
Where we still have some challenges is in the North Central in the northwest and to a lesser extent in the Northeast. There’s still a lot of work to be done along the Kaduna axis. Remember the time when you could not travel by road on the Abuja-Kaduna highway? Now, you’re able to do that.
Now the problem is when you have these far-flung communities, we do have these hit-and-run incidences of not just violence and killings, but obviously kidnappings and hostage-taking,” Ngelale said.
He toed the line of the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, proposing capital punishment for kidnappers, saying, “I think that there’s going to have to be some sort of robust legislative reform that makes it clear to every citizen of our country that if you kidnap anybody, you will be killed by the justice system.
There will be a death penalty attached to it. I don’t see how this can be solved if we don’t do this and see to its implementation.” He added.
Afenifere advised Tinubu against falling like Buhari in dealing with terrorists
Afenifere is a Yoraba socio political group on Monday 11 the of March called on President Bola Tinubu to deal decisively with terrorists operating across Nigeria ,saying he could not afford to fail like his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
It said Tinubu must demonstrate the political will and courage to annihilate these monstrous individuals killing and abducting people ,in their hundreds ,particularly innocent school children and giving Nigerians heartache and sleepless nights
The group stated this in a statement jointly signed by its publicity Secretary Mogaji Gboyega Adejumo and his assistant Justice Faloye.
Afenifere said it would be disastrous and disappointing if Tinubu ,like his predecessor, treats these “blood squealing terrorists with kid gloves when he ought to begin to work on the list of terrorists already with the government to make the criminals account for their heinous acts” Afenifere stated.
The sociopolitical group also called on Tinubu to commence restructuring the country to operate regional government under the parliamentary system while his recent announcement on state police should be allowed to have its foothold.
Gumi seeks government permissions to negotiate with bandits
Sheikh Ahmed Gumi is a renowned Islamic scholar based in Kaduna State .He on Tuesday 12th of March sought for government permission to approach and have talks with bandits who abducted about 287 school children from Kuriga Government Secondary and Local Education Authority -LEA Primary Schools in Chikum Local Government Area of Kaduna State .
The Islamic cleric insisted on dialogue ,calling on President Tinubu to take a different approach from his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari who rejected dialogue. He stated this in a press release in Kaduna recently.
“The government’s stand of no negotiation with the bandits is an unfortunate position .My advice is that the government should dialogue with the bandits not only for these Kuriga school children’s abductions but all cases .
Also the government should use the same approach it used in releasing passengers that were abducted on the Abuja -Kaduna train in 2022 to release the Kuriga school children and others .
I am ready to lead a holistic dialogue between the government and bandits .It is my religious duty to do so for peace.
I hope the Present government of President Bola Tinubu will listen by dialoguing with the bandits because the past administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari refused to do so” Sheikh Gumi stated.
It could be recalled that Gumi had previously negotiated on behalf of state governments to free abducted people by bandits.
To end this piece is to advise both the Federal and state governments to intensify efforts in checkmating the insecurity not just by taking temporary actions and forge with normal approach.
The suggestions provided by Afenifere and that of Sheikh Gumi should be taken with all seriousness to save the lives of the Kaduna Students and that of IDP women in Borno State as a matter of urgency.
Blaming some forces by the Federal Government will not solve the problem at hand,let Tinubu’s administration face the real problem not trading blames as an excuse to his failure of securing the lives of Nigerians under his watch.
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