The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), on Friday called for caution over the abduction in Oyo State, stressing that the lives of pupils and teachers are at statke.
NANS therefore stated that the time has come for Nigerians more than ever before, to come together and unite against terrorism and other vice confronting the country.
A statement by Comrade Akinteye Babatunde Afeez, National President of NANS noted that since 2010 Nigerians have carried on as if terrorism is the burden of government.
NANS said that as a critical stakeholder, it make bold to tell Nigerians that it is high time citizens change such mindset and unite against terrorism with a view to solve the problem once and for all.
NANS noted with concern, a recent call by a group on the aegis of ‘Campaign for Democratic and Workers’ Rights (CDWR)’ for the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT), Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), to declare a statewide strike and mass protests.
It said that while it concedes that it is within the rights of any person or group of persons to call out trade unions to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed right to freedom of expression and of association, the students’ body however, cautioned that such rights should be exercised responsibly.
NANS further said; “Without an iota of doubt, it breaks the heart to see children sent by their parents and guardians to school to study, end up as pawns and objects of negotiations in the hands of kidnappers.
“It should, however, be noted that no government worth its salt, would, especially in an election year, fold its hands and watch terrorists keep children away from their parents and loved ones.
“Rather than call on labour unions to shut down the country, which is exactly what these terrorists want to achieve, we should, as it happened in other climes, use the period to unite against terrorists and reflect on how to make Nigeria better.
“When Hamas struck Israel in 2023, killing over 1,000 of her citizens and kidnapped hundreds, Israeli citizens didn’t play into the hands of their attackers by protesting and calling on unions to shut down the country.
“They forgot all their differences and rallied around the government to hit back at their adversaries. The Israeli government continued to negotiate for the release of those taken hostage by Hamas.
“In some cases, it took 738 days to secure freedom for the last batch of Israeli hostages by Hamas. God forbid that our children spend a day longer than necessary in the hands of these terrorists.
“Tough times, they say, don’t last. It is tough people who do. Between 1967 and 1970, we fought a very bitter civil war, losing over a million people from both the federal and the Biafra side. We pulled back from the brink.
“Even when one diplomat reportedly predicted that Nigeria would disintegrate in 2015, we united to prove that doomsday prediction wrong. If we were able unite against doomsday prediction in 2015, we can successfully unite against terrorism in 2026,” it said.
