Nigeria, especially the educational community, was thrown into mourning following news that three of the unspecified number of students of Greenfield University, Kaduna State, have been killed by their abductors.
The University which is located at Kasarami village off Kaduna-Abuja Road in Chikun Local Government Area, was stormed by bandits on Tuesday night, who carted away with several students, and demanded ransom for their release.
Information of their death was disclosed in a statement by the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who said that the remains of three of the abducted students were found on Friday (April 23), in Kwanan Bature, a village near the university.
According to Aruwan, he and the Force Commander, Operation Thunder Strike, Lieutenant-Colonel M. H. Abdullahi, have evacuated the bodies to a mortuary.
Aruwan said Governor Nasir El-Rufai condemns the killing of the students and described it as “sheer wickedness, inhumanity and outright desecration of human lives by vile entities.”
He said the governor appeals to citizens to come together against the forces of darkness challenging national security and the very existence of the Nigerian state.
He said the governor, on behalf of the government and people of Kaduna State, sent deep condolences and empathy to the students’ families and the university community, as he prayed for the repose of their souls.
However, while reacting to the news as reported by Nigerian Tribune, the 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.”