Senator Shehu Sani, has warned that life must be prioritized over education, in the wake of reports of the death of three students who were among several others abducted by bandits at Greenfield University, Kaduna State, last Tuesday.
Sani who expressed shock over the incident, advised school proprietors on the outskirts of the state to “do the needful” in the wake of increasing attacks on schools in the state.
Sani said in a tweet that the call became necessary following last month’s kidnap of 39 students of Federal College Of Forestry Mechanization, Afaka, and Tuesday’s kidnap of an unspecified number of students at Greenfield University located along Kasarami village off Kaduna-Abuja Road in Chikun LGA, both in Kaduna State.
Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan disclosed that the bodies of three of the abducted students of Greenfield were recovered from Kwanan Bature village, close to the school’s location on Friday.
One of the victims was identified as Abubakar Sadiq Yusuf Sanga, the son of Malam Yusuf Mu’azu, a director of the state’s ministry of works and a former chairman of Jemaa LGA.
The other two victims were identified as Dorathy Yohanna and Precious Nwakacha, a native of Nnewi in Anambra State.
Sani wrote, “The proprietors of schools located in the outskirts of Kaduna still operating should do the needful and not depend on luck.
“The tragedies of the College of Forestry and now Greenfield university must not extend further.
“We are under the siege of bandits; Life first before Education.”
Reacting to the news of the death of the three Greenfield Students, Deputy National President of the Parent Teacher Association of Nigeria (NPTAN), Chief Deolu Ogunbajo, said he received the news with shock, and decried the current situation of Nigeria whereby bandits invade schools at will, abduct students and school workers and collect huge ransoms on them with nobody being brought to book at the end of the day would continue to put innocent lives in danger.
He said the free manner the kidnappers now move from primary schools to tertiary institutions to abduct students had shown that no place, and not even school, was safe again in the country. He advised the Buhari government to request for foreign assistance to address the troubling issue.
Also reacting, the Association of Middle Belt Ethnic Nationalities (ASOMBEN) stated that the killing of the students, among other frightening incidents across Nigeria were signs of a failed country.
The president of the association, Mr Sule Kwasau, said it was unfortunate that the administration of President Buhari was incapable of taming the insecurity ravaging the country on different fronts.
Kwasau said based on this singular incident, the Federal Government and Governor El-Rufai of Kaduna State had breached the country’s constitution and deserved to be impeached.
He said: “The Nigerian government has failed the citizenry. The primary responsibility of any government is to protect lives and properties but they have failed in this regard and as well breached the constitution.
“The killing of these university students, among others, is an evidence of the collapse of the security architecture in the country. This calls for a rejig of the system. It is more urgent because of the innocent lives that are being lost on a daily basis.
“It is also a shame that Nigeria, which brands itself as giant of Africa, could allow foreign ragtag bandits, kidnappers, Boko Haram elements to decimate its population. If we had a functional National Assembly, the president would have been impeached a long time ago because he is not living up to expectations regarding the security of this country.
“It is unfortunate that the governor of Katsina State, Bello Masari, could say that Mr President has not failed this country. Governor Masari is simply trying to paint black as white. At the same time, the youths of this country are not ready for leadership. The youths should rise and take their rightful place.”