Matawalle must name those behind Jangebe schoolgirls’ abduction – NEF

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has asked the Governor of Zamfara State, Bello Matawalle, to immediately release the names of those he claimed were behind the abduction of 279 girls from Government Girls Secondary School Jangebe in Talata Mafara, Zamfara State.

The forum said the governor should not be allowed to make “such depressing and confusing” comment without evidence and demanded that he present evidence to back up his claim with the appropriate government agencies.

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Daily Trust reports that the governor had recently said Nigerians would be shocked if he were to release the names of those behind the girls’ abduction. He later said the same people had offered money to bandits in an attempt to sabotage the release of the schoolgirls.

However, while speaking with Daily Trust on phone, the NEF Director, Publicity and Advocacy, Dr. Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, said the governor could not make such a weighty allegation and fail to provide evidence “unless he believes that it is the same government agencies that are behind the abductions and behind the attempts to frustrate the release of the girls.”

Baba-Ahmed said while the NEF rejoiced over the release of the girls, it was extremely alarmed at the politicization of the abductions, adding that such utterances and arguments among Nigerian leaders will only embolden the bandits.

The NEF spokesman recalled that the forum had recently advised governors as leaders to be very careful with the kind of utterances they made in public.