Kankara abduction: Government learnt nothing from previous kidnappings – CAN

The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has said that the abduction of 333 students of Government Science Secondary School (GSSS), Kankara in Katsina State is another tragic chapter in the history of the country.

The CAN President, Dr. Samson Ayokunle, on Wednesday, lamented that by the recent Kankara kidnapping, the hoodlums now operate with impunity as if the security agencies were on holiday.

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According to him, that the unfortunate incident happened while the Chief Security Officer of the country, President Muhammadu Buhari, is in his home state means that these criminals have sent a strong message to him that the security architecture of the country has been compromised under his watch.

“The abduction has also exposed the failure of both the government and the security agencies to learn from the abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls in 2014 in Borno State and 110 schoolgirls at the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College (GSTC) in Dapchi, Yobe State in 2018.

“It also means all stakeholders in the Education sector have learnt nothing from the two historic tragedies despite the fact that our security agencies have failed to secure the release of the remaining Chibok schoolgirls and the only Dapchi schoolgirl, Leah Sharibu, who is still waiting in the den of the terrorists,” Ayokunle said in a statement signed by his spokesman, Pastor Adebayo Oladeji.

He said that the situation shows the government is not bothered about the security of the people despite all the killings being recorded daily.

Ayokunle berated the President for turning down the invitation of the House of Representatives to explain and rob minds with the legislators on the way out of our deplorable security situation in the country.

He said: “What an attitude of ‘I don’t care!’

“President Muhammadu Buhari should remember that history is being written about him with the way he is addressing all these security challenges just as we are talking about the Chibok schoolgirls and the Jonathan administration.

“This was what CAN foresaw long before now when we were calling on the President to sack the service chiefs and by extension to overhaul the security architecture.

“But he was not ready to listen to the Voice of Wisdom.

“We advise President Buhari to revisit all his electioneering promises on the security and compare them with what the security has become under his watch.

“The country is almost becoming a failed nation.

“Kidnapping has reached unimaginable proportion with no clue to [how to address] it from the security agents.

“Victims’ relatives and friends are left at the mercy of the kidnappers as they bargain for the release of their people as if they are commodities put out for sale.

“Is there no government in place anymore?

“Is this the way other governments of the world respond to life consuming threats like we have?”

He urged International Community to help Nigeria in stopping the siege of terrorists, bandits and criminal herdsmen among others causing mayhem and should not wait till when the situation degenerate into a civil war.

He also urged the Federal government to direct the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to protect schools and colleges nationwide, especially in the areas where security appears compromised.