Ensure Safe Return of Abducted School Girls, House Tells FG
- calls for implementation of safe schools declaration to protect children
By Udora Orizu
The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to expedite action on the safe return of all abducted school children, from the incidents of Chibok to the most recent one at Kankara town in Katsina State.
The House also called on the federal government to urgently implement the Safe Schools Declaration to protect children and teachers from attacks in schools and ensure that their education continues without any hindrance.
It urged the federal government to forward the Safe Schools Declaration to the National Assembly for ratification and domestication.
It further called on the federal government to review the security architecture of the country because of the seeming demonstration of diminishing returns.
These resolutions were sequel to the unanimous adoption of a motion of urgent public importance, titled, ‘Call On the Federal Government To Urgently Bring Total Control, The Attacks On Educational Institutions, Insurgency, Banditry And Kidnappings Across the Country,’ sponsored by Hon. Musa Sarkin Adar and 75 other lawmakers.
Moving the motion at plenary Tuesday, Adar said that the security challenges in the country, particularly in the north, are backsliding into the former state of affairs before the coming of the current administration in 2015.
He expressed concern that the attacks and kidnappings have taken such a dangerous dimension that the security agencies seem to be overwhelmed.
He lamented that till date, about 112 Chibok school girls are still missing, adding that two years after, one of the Dapchi girls,’ Leah Sharibu, is still in captivity.
He further said that more educational facilities are being threatened by bandits and Boko Haram, leading to the closure of most schools and depriving hundreds of thousands of children of education.
The lawmaker warned that the incessant attacks on communities, schools and in fact education itself are tragic consequences of a protracted security challenge that has left the country traumatized.
He opined that despite efforts by the security chiefs, they seem to be losing the aggregate public opinion in the country.
Adar said: ”In April 2014, a Girls Secondary School in Chibok, Borno State was attacked and 276 female students were kidnapped. Also in February 2014, yet another attack was recorded whereby dozens of students were murdered at the Federal Government College, Buni Yadi in Yobe State and classrooms set on fire. Further note that in February 2018, at about 5:50am, 110 school girls aged between 11 and 19 years were kidnapped from the Government Girls Science and Technical College, Dapchi in Yobe State.
”Also be aware of the most recent attack on Friday, December 11, 2020 in a Government Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State where hundreds of the students were reportedly kidnapped by bandits.
“Be further aware that Zabarmari, Beni Sheik, Potiskum Market and a host of other places in the North-east were attacked, resulting in the cold blooded murder and abduction of innocent Nigerians. Concerned by numerous reports of kidnappings and bandits’ attacks in Kaduna State, Niger State, Zamfara State, Sokoto State, Katsina State and a host of other places too numerous to mention.”
