Jangebe: CDD demands ‘Marshall plan’ to prevent further school attacks

Following the release of the 279 students of the Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) Jangebe in Talata Local Government Area of Zamfara State on Tuesday, March 2, 2021, the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) has call for a holistic plan to prevent further attacks on education institutions in the country.

The CDD Director, Idayat Hassan, said on Tuesday in a statement that the centre was, however, relief on the release of 317 abducted students.

“While we rejoice with Nigeria and the families of the students on their release, we cannot but emphasise the need for a plan to ensure that this kind of child right violation does not repeat itself.

“The CDD calls on government and relevant authorities including the Ministry of Education to come together and map out workable strategies that would ensure that every child is protected in his or her quest to seek development and learning,” Hassan said.

She said that efforts should also be made to ensure that all abductees in captivity are released by their abductors without succumbing to any form of amnesty or ransom.

According to her, it is a slap on the face of the entire country that criminals have turned the national space into a lawless, chaotic, and non-habitable place. It is most unfair to the long-suffering citizens of Nigeria that the Buhari government has woefully failed to stem the tide of insecurity.

She said “It is not tenable that Nigerians, especially young people seeking an education, can no longer do so in a secure, peaceful, and conducive atmosphere.

“In the face of these traumatic experiences for the families of young scholars abducted by criminal gangs, CDD believes it is time for the government to adopt a holistic approach to deter further attacks.”

Hassan said that the government can no longer continue to hide its head in the sands in the hope that the wave of the kidnapping of school children will simply go away.

“In fact from the evidence on the ground, the bandits will become even more daring, especially as they have been getting generous financial returns from hefty sums paid to them as ransom.

“The government should revisit and update existing school security policies such as the Safe School Initiative. Subsequently, a common national template involving the security agencies and communities should be activated to respond to the current threat of mass abductions.

“CDD calls on the government at all levels to work together to provide victims of abductions with the right psycho-social support. Given the trauma many of these students have passed through, their lives are not likely to be the same again.”