LAGOS, Nigeria (VOICE OF NAIJA)-The school children who were abducted by bandits in Kuriga, Chukun local government area of Kaduna State on March 7th, have since returned to their parents with fanfare on Thursday three days after their return from the kidnapper’s den where they spent two weeks of hell on earth.
The hitherto figure of the victims originally publicised as 287 was later put at 137 by the Kaduna State governor Sani Uba following their release.
The school authority had given the number of the abducted children as 287.
It is unclear whether the school authority was uncertain about the number of abducted students or if others are still in captivity.
The pupils were released after 17 days in captivity.
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Their release came a day after another group of 17 pupils abducted on 9 March from a school in Sokoto State were released.
The Sokoto students were freed on Saturday following their abduction from a Tsangaya school in Gidan Baya in Gada Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
Although there’s been no official confirmation yet as to whether their safety was procured after the payment of N1 billion ransom demanded by their abductors, it’s heartwarming that the students returned to safety apart from the unfortunate incident of Mallam Abubakar, one is of the teachers who lost his life.
Although the Kaduna State governor had pledged the sum of N10 million for the family of the deceased including a promise to sponsor his wards up to the university level, it’s nonetheless a sad incident that a life was lost in the first place.
But still there are posers that need to be answered: why the number discrepancy? Where are the parents? Where are the school administrators? Who made the uniform clothes for the kids and when were their measurements taken? Why are minors being paraded and being arranged for photographs?
READ ALSO:Photos: Freed 137 Schoolchildren Arrive Kaduna
Where is the school register? Where is the police in this case? Who is the alleged bandit whose ‘ransom’ bundles of naira is trending?
It bears stating here that we cannot have closure for this case if the aforementioned posers are left unanswered because there’s more than meets the eye.
Of particular concern is the fact that the modus operandi of the kidnap suspects need to be investigated.
This is because it has the insignia of the other abductions as happened with the Chibok girls some six years ago.
As much as the law enforcement agencies deserve commendation for the efforts they played in the rescue of the Kuriga school children, there’s a lot more expected from them.
While it is also interesting that the federal government has described the marauding gangs as terrorists, it’s not enough.
The federal government must take a bold step by ensuring that it doesn’t just bark but must be seen to bite.
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Kidnap suspects are guilty of the heinous crime of murder and must be made to face the full wrath of law once caught.
Anyone who can go to the extent of kidnapping a fellow human doesn’t deserve a second chance.
It’s the lacuna in our laws that is more often than not being exploited by these thieving gangs.
It’s high time the federal government and all concerned take the security of lives and property very seriously by being a lot more proactive rather than the knee jerk approach to issues of this magnitude.
This is particularly necessary especially in the Northeast and Northwest of the country where the population of the out of school children is not very encouraging.
If the school premises cannot be safe for the kids, tutors and caregivers, the population of school children will be further decimated and this clearly is not a good omen for a country that is desirous of becoming a very developed nation like other comity of nations.
The time to act is now, tomorrow is no longer assured.