House Urges FG, Niger Govt to Rescue Islamic School Pupils Abducted by Bandits

By Adedayo Akinwale

The House of Representatives has called on the federal government to maintain constant collaboration with the Niger State government to secure the immediate release of pupils abducted from Islamic School in Tegina, Rafi Local government Area of Niger State.

The House also called on the National Security Adviser (NSA), Service Chiefs, Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to re-jig security architecture with a view to putting in place effective strategies and counter measures to curb escalating insecurity across Niger State.

The resolution of the House followed the adoption of a motion moved at the plenary on Thursday by Hon. Saidu Abdullahi.

Moving the motion, Abdulahi said for the past few months, Niger State had been making critical headlines in the news due to the worsening activities of bandits, kidnappers and Boko Haram elements.

He recalled that there was a mass abduction of about 136 children from Mallam Salihu Tanko Islamic School in Tegina, Rafi LGA, Niger State recently.

The lawmaker lamented that two weeks after the abduction, the children were still in captivity.

Abdulahi decried that the bandits have been gruesomely torturing and killing innocent lives; destroying critical infrastructure and properties; carting away food stuffs, rustling cattle and domestic animals; and instilling fears, tensions and anxieties in the minds of people across the State and Country.

He said the huge investments of this administration in the agricultural sector across the State had been practically frustrated as the farmers can no longer farm for a living as a direct result of the fear of attacks.

Abdulahi stressed that the aftermath was the aggravation of food insecurity and threats to the peaceful co-existence and socio-economic stability of the country.

He added that recently, a prince from Kontagora Emirate and others were killed; while about five people were abducted from Batati, in Lavun Local Government Area.

The lawmaker lamented that abductions of innocent people from Suleja Local Government Area were reported, adding that bandits were seen operating along Zungeru, Tegina and Kontagora axis of Niger State for days and nights without resistance.

Abdulahi revealed that no fewer than 50 communities across Munya and Shiroro Local Government Areas of the State were sacked and over 3,000 people were displaced from their ancestral homes to seek refuge in IDP’s Camps recently.

He said the Military Camps in Allawa, Bassa and Zagzaga in the two Local Government Areas were overrun by the insurgents in their renewed attacks recently.

The lawmaker expressed concern that the bandits now strike mostly in the daytime and operate without any challenge from the security agents.