Zamfara kidnap, threat to education — Obi

The presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the February 25 election, Peter Obi, has condemned the kidnap of some female students of Federal University Gusau, Zamfara State.

Obi, a former governor of Anambra further described the attack as a threat to education in the country, while urging the Federal Government not to allow bandits to destroy the nation.

He shared this on Tuesday via his X handle.

President Bola Tinubu, on Sunday, fumed over the abduction of 30 students of the Federal University, Gusau, in Zamfara State by bandits in the early hours of Friday.

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As of Sunday, 21 of the students were still in captivity; seven had been rescued while two escaped.

The Deputy Governor of Zamfara State, Mani Mummuni, who was at the university to sympathise with the families and the school authorities over the incident, called on security agencies to hasten the rescue of the kidnapped students.

In a press statement, the spokesperson for the Zamfara State Police Command,  Yazid Abubakar, assured that the command would ensure the rescue of all the kidnapped students.

“The report of the unfortunate abduction of some female students of the Federal University of Gusau from their hostels at Sabon-Gida community in the Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State is very disturbing.

“This act remains condemnable, and the incident brings to bear once again, the national challenge of insecurity which has continued to threaten our national peace and development. While I commend the security agencies for rescuing some of the abducted students already.

“I urge them to make more stringent efforts to ensure that the remaining students are rescued unhurt. This, and many other attacks on students, is an attack on education in a country where over 18 million out-of-school children are already roaming the streets,” part of his post read.

He added that such an attack would only impact negatively on the education system, forcing more students out of school.

“The government, therefore, owes the nation a duty to deliver its primary duty of securing lives and properties, which is the first step towards national development,” he noted.

Obi, who sympathised with the victims of the unfortunate incident prayed they would be rescued and reunited with their families and loved ones.

“We must as a nation resist any attempt to allow criminals to make the rules by which we live as a national community. And we should not allow bandits and criminals to destroy our nation.

“Combating insecurity remains the priority in the New Nigeria of my dream because I strongly believe that a safe and secure Nigeria is indeed possible,” he said.