The Northern Elders Forum (NEF), has lamented to President Muhammdu Buhari over the recent spate of killings and kidnapping ravaging the region, complaining that children of the zone now get scared of going to school in order not to be kidnapped.
NEF Director of Publicity and Advocacy, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, in a statement yesterday, called on northern governors to devise means to address the problems.
Baba-Ahmed added that government should decisively deal with bandits who have refused to jettison kidnappings and killings despite enough to rehabilitate them.
“Northern Elders Forum shares the profound shock and outrage of Nigerians at the spate of kidnappings of boarding school children in different parts of the North.
“The latest reported kidnapping of more than hundreds of female students in Zamfara State follows the abduction of students of GSC, Kagara, Niger State.
“Apart from the likelihood of similar abductions re-occurring as bandits engage in copycat crimes in a region that is basically unprotected, these abductions will severely damage the poor state of education in the North, particularly girl-child education.
“It has become painfully obvious that the Federal Government is unable to muster the will or the capacity to limit exposure of Nigerians to violent criminals.
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“Governors have been left to quarrel over causes and strategies. Many are taking steps that have dubious legal foundations, most of which merely compound the State of Security of the citizens in the country.
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“In spite of assurances from the Federal Government that it will end banditry and kidnappings, the life of the Nigerian is becoming more endangered by the day, and citizens have lost faith that Governments will reverse the successes of the criminal against defenseless citizens.
“The Forum advises particularly Northern Governors to explore all lawful avenues to improve the security of citizens.
“While they should improve their support to the Military, the Police and Security Agencies, they should also explore avenues which give them more powers to secure citizens.
“Of the constitution which gives states powers to establish policing structures, including those with specialization such as forest rangers should now be pursued as a matter of national priority.
“Governors should explore issues which aid the spread of banditry at local and community levels and resolve them. They should also intensify multi-pronged approaches to ending banditry and kidnappings, including measures that prevent the continuation of these criminal activities by those who show a genuine willingness to stop.
“Bandits who refuse to submit to mediation and cessation of criminal activities should be treated in accordance with the laws of the country.
“Citizens should organize and raise their levels of vigilance. They should resist the temptation to take laws into their hands, and improve the manner they work with Security Agencies.
“Parents should not be discouraged from sending children to schools, and all governments must take firmer measures to secure learning institutions,” he said.
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