Kagara Abduction: Declare State of Emergency On Insecurity Now – Senate Tells Buhari

BY VICTOR BUORO, ABUJA – The Senate on Wednesday called on President Muhammadu Buhari, to as a matter of urgency, declare a state of emergency on insecurity in the country.

The Senate also urged President Buhari to consider and implement the recommendations of the Senate Ad-Hoc Committee on Nigeria’s Security Challenges dated March 17, 2020 and Senate Resolutions therefrom, as a holistic response to the mounting security challenges across the country.

The Upper Chamber of the National Assembly equally condemned in very strong terms, Tuesday’s night invasion and abduction of students and teachers of Government Science School, Kagara, Niger State by bandits.

These resolutions were reached by the Senate following consideration of a motion titled; “Abduction of Students and Teachers of Government Science School Kagara: Need for urgent action.”

Sponsor of the motion, Senator Mohammed Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), noted with sadness and great concern, the recent terrorist attack and abduction of students at Government Science School, Kagara, Niger State by gunmen in the early hours of today;

Musa said that the bandits were dressed in military uniforms when they attacked the boarding school, overpowered the security guards before whisking away the students, and killing some which numbers are to yet to be confirmed;

In his remarks, the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, underscored the need for the military and security agencies to work in collaboration with the various state governments towards securing schools situated in the northern part of Nigeria were abduction remains predominant.

Lawan said: “I believe that there is need for something new; a different initiative, especially how to protect our schools. And, let me be a little bit clear about the incident of abducting students from schools.

“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 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,” Lawan said.