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‘Kankara School Abduction, Sad Reminder Of Dapchi, Chibok Episodes’
A peace advocacy group, Coalition for Peace and National Security (CPNS) has condemned yesterday’s bandits’ attack on Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State, where, at least, 600 out of 800 students of the school are reportedly missing.
The group described the action of the bandits against innocent school children as unacceptable, tasking security agencies to immediately swing into action with a view not only to rescuing the missing students but also apprehend the perpetrators and made them face the consequences of their actions.
It also described the development as a sad reminder of the terrorists’ attacks on Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State on the night of April 14, 2014, where 276 girls writing West African Examinations Council (WAEC), were abducted; and another attack on February 19, 2018, at Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, in Yobe State left some students dead and others missing.
In a statement, yesterday by its National Coordinator, Dr Mohammed Maigoro, and National Secretary, Barrister Tunde Funsho, respectively, the Coalition for Peace and National Security said the attack on innocent school children was not only cowardly but also callous and a crime against humanity, prohibited under international humanitarian law.
The group noted with regret that the action of the bandits totally affects Nigeria’s effort towards the enhancement of a child’s education and development.
While commiserating with parents of the children and victims of the incessant killings in the North in particular and the country in general, the coalition called on the bandits to lay down their arms and release those in their custody.
According to the group, the attack on the school was a further confirmation that the security situation in the country was not getting better, hence the need to immediately rejig the nation’s security architecture beginning with the sack of service chiefs.
The coalition commended President Muhammadu Buhari for his avowed commitment to addressing security challenges in the country.
It, however, tasked the president to immediately rejig the security architecture of the country beginning with the sack of service chiefs who it noted, had become exhausted to face the increasingly worsening security situation.
“We received the news of yesterday’s attack on Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in Katsina State, where at least 600 out of 800 students of the school are reportedly missing with shock.”
This latest action by bandits is a sad reminder of the past similar ones on Government Girls’ Secondary School, Chibok in Borno State on the night of April 14, 2014, where 276 girls writing West African Examination Council, WAEC, were abducted and another attack on February 19, 2018, at Government Girls’ Science and Technical College, Dapchi, in Yobe State that left some students dead and others missing.
“This attack on innocent school children is not only cowardly but also callous and a crime against humanity, prohibited under the international humanitarian law.
“We urge the security agencies to immediately swing into action in not only rescuing the missing students but also apprehend the perpetrators of this heinous crime,” the group said.
It added: “This latest development is a yet another confirmation that the country is porous without security and given this dad situation, we wish to without any hesitation join the clarion call on our dear President, Muhammadu Buhari, to immediately rejig the nation’s security architecture beginning with the sack of service chiefs who apart from overstaying in office, have become exhausted to face the increasingly worsening security situation of our country.
“There is no indication anywhere that they are capable of turning the tide against terrorists, insurgents, bandits, and kidnappers anymore, given the daily ugly security developments in the country.
“The president should at this moment be more concerned about the security of Nigerians who he swore an oath to protect by listening to the increasing calls by well-meaning Nigerians including the National Assembly that he changes the service chiefs and completely overhaul the security architecture for efficiency.
“We call on him to be more concerned about this than regime protection as everyone has embraced democracy with no one reasoning along that line anymore.
“Many people have been mauled down unjustly with an unquantifiable number of public and private assets destroyed in the past few months and this development should be a thing of great concern to a president that swore a sacred oath to protect his people and the country”, it stressed.
Meanwhile, the Katsina State Police Command, yesterday, confirmed that over 200 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, were rescued from gunmen who attacked the school last Friday night.
The command, however, did not specify the number of students abducted by the bandits.
A statement by the spokesman for the command, SP Gambo Isah, disclosed that a police inspector was injured during attempts to rescue the students.
The statement partly read, “The DPO rescued over 200 students back into the school compound. The Police, Nigerian Army, and Nigerian Air Force are working closely with the school authorities to ascertain the actual number of the missing and/or kidnapped students while search parties are assiduously working with a view to finding and/or rescuing the missing students.
“It will be too early to say at this particular moment the actual number of students that have been kidnapped or missing.”
The incident happened, last Friday night, barely a few hours after President Muhammadu Buhari arrived Daura in his home state of Katsina for a week-long private visit.
Parents of wards have rushed to the school to know the fate of their children while security operatives were seen in strategic locations in the Kankara area of the state.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.