•Terrorists
The National Rescue Movement (NRM) has called for immediate end to kidnapping and other criminal activities in the country.
The movement, in a press statement signed by its national publicity secretary, Sola Afuye, said the menace is a norm that must be stopped, saying the growing insecurity has shown the failure of government in its responsibilities.
The political party said: “The leadership of the National Rescue Movement is disturbed about how the nation has found itself in the current quagmire and wonders whether government is conscious of its primary responsibilities to the people of Nigeria.
“Kidnapping, particularly of innocent school children, is becoming a norm in Nigeria? It is ugly and sad discussing the situation surrounding the whisking away of about 300 students on Thursday morning by armed bandits on motorcycles who stormed the LEA Primary and Secondary School in the Kuriga Village of Chikun Local Government Area in Kaduna State with a quick succession of the kidnap of at least 15 pupils from a Tsangaya School in Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
“We condemn in strong terms the continued kidnapping of Nigerians and urge the Federal Government to stop at nothing to end insecurity in Nigeria.
Arising from the National Rescue Movement state of the nation review meeting, the acting National Chairman, Prince (Dr.) Chinedu Obi, expressed deep concerns on the unending despicable reports of the unchallenged abduction of Nigerians, particularly school children.
“The party wonders how one explains a situation where armed bandits stormed, invaded and attacked a community school premises on Thursday morning around 8:00 am (local time) where about 100 pupils from the primary school and 187 from the secondary school were kidnapped unchallenged.
“The reoccurrence of these sad situations is akin to a sign of a failed state, and should be reversed immediately. The federal should activate the required political will to reverse this ugly trend and as a matter of urgency deploy ICT infrastructure to the fight insecurity in Nigeria.
“The National Rescue Movement is concerned about the psychological trauma confronting Nigerians by the slow pace in redesigning the nation’s security architecture to meet the growing insecurity. More so, in the face of huge resources of tax payers’ money going down the drain by the day, all in the name of upgrading our security apparatus.
“NRM is aware that Kaduna State is less than 150km from Federal Capital Territory and shares boarders with other four states of Nasarawa, Niger, Kano and Plateau. And concerned that since the early hours of Thursday and after days of these abductions, no clue as to where this large number of children are kept and or fully rescued.
“This is a constitutional democracy that the leaders must be responsive and be ready to give answers to questions coming from every concerned citizen. We hope the government will not dwell more on rhetoric that will make the family members of the abducted children to wait for so long as it was in the case of Chibok and Dapchi girls and others.
“As critical stakeholders and a political party wishing this government a peaceful and successful tenure, we believe it is high time that the President and the Commander-In-Chief of Armed Forces takes the bull by the horn to ensure that all the heads of security agencies look inwards to deal with the cases of saboteurs among the forces for better efficiency.
“Finally, NRM seizes the opportunity to identify with the families of the abducted children, the people of Kaduna and Sokoto States, and all families in Nigeria that have suffered any form of security challenge.
“We urge them to keep faith alive and trust that their loved ones would return home unhurt. In all these challenges, a rescued, secured and prosperous Nigeria is possible.”
