Group Seeks UN’s Intervention On Kidnapping Of Students In Nigeria

Posted by Eric Ojo Europe, Featured, Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Friday, June 18th, 2021

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The frontline Civil Society and not-for-profit group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has called on the United Nations (UN) and global leaders to intervene and rescue students kidnapped by terrorists in Nigeria.

The association said it is only in Nigeria globally that terrorists have made it a hobby with the clear by-in of government at the top to frequently invade schools armed to their teeth with sophisticated military grade weapons to kidnap pupils and students are allowed by the government to keep the kidnapped citizens for as long as the terrorists want.

In a statement jointly signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko and the National Media Affairs Director Miss Zainab Yusuf, HURIWA lamented that even in Afghanistan and Syria that are totally in a state of war, students are adequately protected and there are no recorded evidence anywhere that the terrorists in those war- torn nations have ever been allowed by the war weary governments of those jurisdictions to play Russian Roulettes with the lives of pupils and students like the way it is obtainable in Nigeria.

The group noted that the persistent failures of the Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to stop the constant invasions of schools and the violent kidnappings of pupils/students that are being kept in captivity for prolonged period shows that the President has lost his legal support to remain a President in the first place.

The association upbraided President Buhari’s administration for abandoning the sick kids of Tanko Salihu Islamiyya School, Tegina in Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State, abducted by terrorists. HURIWA also alleged complicity of government at the highest levels for the mere fact that presidency has yet to clearly list the armed Fulani kidnappers and militia members as terrorists and the government has not done anything towards freeing these kids.

“This central administration similarly abandoned the kidnapped Greenfield University students in Kaduna and the Federal forestry school in Kaduna for months not until their parents sold all their assets and borrowed from all over to pay these terrorists hundreds of millions of naira in ransom before the captives were released.

“It is clear that President Buhari has breached the constitutional elementary duty of protecting citizens. This willful abdication of his legally binding duty of care as the Commander -in-Chief means that the government has ran out of any sort of legitimacy to remain in power”, the group said.

They also observed the National Assembly which ought to use threats of impeachment to compel effective protection of citizens’ lives, is regrettably a house of infamy whereby the leaders are stooges and slaves of the executive arm of government in violation of the principles of checks and balances exemplified in sections 4, 5 and 6”.

HURIWA equally carpeted the Executive Governor of Niger State, Abubakar Sani Bello for reportedly attending a social event where he partied before jetting out overseas on a frolicking mission on the same day that these school kids were abducted viciously by terrorists and have remained in captivity for nearly a month.

The group recalled that the Niger State Government has insisted it would not pay any ransom for the release of the children. It also assured parents that plans were underway to rescue the children.

The association further argued that both the president and the Niger State governor have no basis for remaining in office since they breached the legal obligations they owe as of law to the citizens who elected them and conferred constitutional legitimacy on them to exercise authority.

HURIWA recalled with considerable sadness that terrorists rebaptised by President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration as only armed bandits who abducted the Tegina kids, have reduced the demanded ransom for their release to N150 million.

They also disclosed that some of the 136 abducted pupils, are reported to have fallen sick in captivity. The terrorists disclosed the children’s ill health to the headmaster of the Islamiyya School, Alhassan Garba Abubakar, who reported the situation to reporters. According to him, the bandits who had been demanding for N200 million said they would accept N150 million as ransom to release the abducted children.

The group said some of the parents have been visiting Churches and Mosques in a bid to raise the money for the ransom just as it was gathered that some of the parents are praying and hoping the bandits would further reduce the ransom to something affordable.