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Northern Elders Condemns Escalating Wave Of School Abductions
The Northern Elders Forum, expressed its deep concern over the escalating security crisis in the Northern region, saying that it is saddened by the worsening state of security in the nation highlighted by the alarming increase in school abductions.
NEF also recalls that the recent attack and mass abductions in Kuriga village, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State have once again brought to the forefront the grave security challenges facing Northern Nigeria.
The Director of Publicity and Advocacy, NEF, Abdul-Azeez Suleiman, in a media chat with Guardian while reacting to the recent school abductions, condemned the heinous act and expressed deep concern over the escalating wave of school abductions in the region.
He said: “His incident, where over 200 students and teachers were kidnapped from LEA Primary school, further underscores the fragile state of security in the nation,” the statement read.
The NEF lamented the fact that the abduction of schoolchildren has now become a common occurrence in Northern Nigeria, posing a serious threat to education in the region.
He said: “This reprehensible act not only violates the fundamental rights of these innocent children to education but also instills fear and anxiety among parents and educators.
“The recent wave of school abductions, where innocent children are being taken from their schools, is particularly distressing. These incidents not only traumatize the victims and their families but also undermine the educational system and the future of the nation.
“It is clear that the current security situation is a matter of grave concern, and it is imperative that all stakeholders work together to find lasting solutions to these challenges.”
They emphasized the need for a collaborative effort between the government, security agencies, and local communities to ensure the safety and security of all Nigerians.
The NEF also highlighted the broader implications of such acts of violence on the fabric of Nigerian society. The continuous occurrence of kidnappings, killings, armed robberies, and violent attacks, not just in the rural areas but even in the federal capital, is a stark reminder of the pervasive insecurity that plagues the nation. It is a tragic reality that Nigerians are living under constant fear of being targeted by criminal elements.
“The abduction of 200 students in Kuriga village is particularly distressing, considering that it is the same community where a school principal was killed and his wife kidnapped just over a month ago. Such brazen acts of violence demonstrate the brazen disregard for human life and the rule of law by the perpetrators of these crimes.”
The NEF warned that this state of lawlessness is unacceptable and called for urgent action to restore security and peace in the affected areas. “This condemnation should serve as a clarion call for the government and security agencies to take proactive measures to protect schools, communities, and vulnerable populations in the North. It is imperative that all necessary resources and strategies are deployed to ensure the safe return of the abducted students and teachers and to prevent such incidents from recurring in the future.
“Government must see this as a strong stance reflecting the collective outrage and concern of Nigerians over the deteriorating security situation in the country. The government must prioritize the safety and wellbeing of its citizens and take decisive action to combat insecurity and safeguard the future of the next generation.
“Education is a fundamental right that must be protected at all costs, and any threat to it must be met with unwavering resolve and determination.
“May the abducted students and teachers be safely reunited with their families, and may justice be served on those responsible for this heinous crime.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has denied being partisan in handling the failed recall of the Senator representing Kogi Central, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
The Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Rotimi Oyekanmi, who was on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday, explained how the Commission handled the process.
“In the case of the Kogi Central District, we received a petition and a cover letter and of course what Nigerians were saying was that we were taking sides,” Oyekanmi said on the programme.
“But what happened was that in the covering letter, the representatives of the petitioners did not include their address as required in our regulations and guidelines and what we just did was to ask them to supply their address, it has nothing to do with the petition.
“And of course, there is nowhere in the law where INEC is asked to reject a petition just because the cover letter did not contain the address. So, there was no hanky-panky in what we did.”
Earlier on Thursday, INEC rejected the petition to recall Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan, saying that it has not met the requirements.
The electoral commission said the petition to recall Senator Natasha did not meet constitutional requirements.
Senator Natasha was suspended for breaching Senate rules, prompting some of her constituents to initiate her recall. They claimed the move was to ensure their constituency did not lack representation following the suspension of the 45-year-old senator.
Asked whether there could be a repeat of the recall process, the INEC spokesperson said the law did not specify if the process could be repeated and how many times.
“The law just talks about the threshold, the threshold meaning that if you want to recall, you must have, in addition to your petition, 50 per cent plus one signatures. The law did not specify how many times you can undertake that,” he said.
The lawmaker has made headlines in recent months after she accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio of sexual harassment, a claim the Akwa Ibom lawmaker has equally denied.
She was thereafter suspended by the Red Chamber for violation of its rule of conduct.
The National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has handed over 19 kidnapped victims rescued by the security agencies to the Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa.
The brief ceremony took place on Thursday at the National Counter Terrorism Centre (NCTC), Office of the National Security Adviser in Abuja.
The victims included Ambassador Gideon Yohanna, the former Director-General of National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier-General Maharazu Tsiga (retired) who had spent 56 days in captivity and 17 others, including a child.
Both Ribadu and Musa pledged to remain relentless until the criminals are wiped out and normalcy restored in the country.
“As a result of the work of our armed forces and other security services, we are able to rescue and bring back our own people,” he said.
“This time, it involves important personalities who served this country. We thank God for their lives, we are grateful to those who made it possible.
“This is an ongoing operation and we are doing it quite silently, we will go after the bad ones.”
Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan on Thursday applauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for rejecting a petition to recall her as the lawmaker representing Kogi Central Senatorial District.
The female lawmaker, who was a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today, said the electoral umpire should have thrown out the petition long before it did on April 3, 2025.
“I’m a lawyer. I’m a senator and I understand how Nigeria works. For me, the most important thing is this recall process has been stalled.
“I give kudos and credit to INEC even though I believe they should have thrown it away from the get-go.
“I think it was void ab initio because there is no law in the Electoral Act that says a petition should be discarded just because there is no address but again, what if the address is false?”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain argued that most of the addresses provided in the petition for her recall were false because most houses in her district weren’t labelled.
“Even though INEC did count 208,000 signatures, I bet you if they had gone into the verification stage, they would have struggled to even have 500 people come out to attest to signing that,” she added.
She accused Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Governor Usman Ododo and ex-governor Yahaya Bello of sponsoring her failed recall.
In a much-awaited statement on Thursday, INEC said the petition for the recall of the lawmaker did not met the requirement of Section 69(a) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended).
“Therefore, no further action shall be taken on the recall of the Senator,” INEC declared.