Mass Kidnapping: Security Of Schools Will Get Special Attention-Ribadu
According to Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, President Bola Tinubu’s administration would pay special attention to the safety and security of kids and schools throughout the country.
Ribadu made the remarks on Wednesday in Abuja at the Nigeria Police Force’s Strategic Forum on Achieving Safer Schools.
The theme of the programme was ‘Imperative for a safer teaching and learning environment for the future of Nigeria’s national development: the need for national collective action’.
It attempted to improve collaboration among security services in order to address the country’s numerous security concerns, including mass kidnappings in schools.
“Undoubtedly, education has always been the cornerstone of progress in any society, and as we strive to build a prosperous country for the future of our children and the generation yet unborn, it is critical that we prioritise the safety and security of our educational institutions at all levels,” Ribadu said at the Forum.
“President Bola Tinubu’s administration pledged to work with both state and local government authorities to reform and retool the nation’s educational system, paying special attention to school security, welfare, and teacher and student training.”
Major Gen A.M Dikko (rtd), who represented Ribadu at the occasion, stated that the invasion of schools by bandits and other armed persons has had an influence on school enrollment in the country, particularly in the northern region.
He charged all of the country’s security services with gathering and sharing intelligence in order to combat the threat.
The program’s host, Inspector General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, stated that the Tinubu administration is committed to protecting kids and providing a safe learning environment.
The Chief of Defence Staff, Maj-Gen C G Musa, is represented by Air Vice Marshal A.V. Ndache; the Chief of Army Staff, Maj Gen Taoreed Lagbaja; the Chief of Naval Staff, Rear Admiral Emmanuel Ogalla, is represented by Commodore S.M Ahmed; and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshall Hassan Abubakar, is represented by Brig Gen G.O Esho.
One of the greatest security concerns that ex-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration faced was the mass abduction of students by bandits.
Bandits kidnapped about 300 schoolgirls in Jangebe, Zamfara State, in February 2021. Bandits kidnapped dozens of students and employees from the Government Science College in Kagara, Niger State, in the same month.
Bandits kidnapped about 300 schoolboys from Kankara’s Government Science Secondary School in Katsina State in 2020. Apart from Jangebe, Kankara, and Kagara, non-state actors have previously kidnapped hundreds of secondary school girls in Chibok, Borno State, and Dapchi, Yobe State.