Abductions: NLC Charges Government To Strengthen Security Around Schools

Following the abduction of over 300 students of the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State, the Nigeria Labour Congress has charged the government and security agencies to ensure adequate security in schools across the country.

The Congress, in a statement signed by the President, Ayuba Wabba, noted that although the reaction time of security personnel appears to have improved on previous school raids, it still did not preclude the bandits from abducting a sizable number of the students.

It said, “In our view, this abduction would not have happened, had adequate precaution been taken.

“It is common knowledge that Katsina and Zamfara, both in the North West, have been the epicenter of extreme violent banditry in the past two or more years with abductions and killings on a regular basis. Villages or communities have been pillaged and reduced to rubble, strangulating in the process all economic activities, especially farming.

“Given this scenario and precedents (Chibok etc), it should have been obvious that Kankara was waiting to happen for two reasons: schools are vulnerable; male schools in particular are rich recruiting grounds.”

The Congress further noted that the national security personnel have appeared to be stretched thin over the years, adding that Government as well as the security agencies should take responsibility, ensure all the students are rescued, unharmed.

It also urged the government to do all that is necessary to ensure that students are not abducted from schools going forward.

The NLC said, “Government and security agencies are advised to work with local communities to provide the needed security around schools round the clock.

“While such security may not face the firepower of bandits, it would at least, hold them. We similarly, believe there should be rapid response teams deployed around the volatile states.

“And although we do not count ourselves as security experts, we are surprised that going after abductors of hundreds of students in the bare, arid savannah often is often made to look like searching for a needle in a haystack.”