Kagara Students Abduction: FG has abandoned us, Niger Governor laments

Niger state Governor Alhaji Abubakar Sani Bello has cried out that the state has been left on its own in the difficult task of securing the release of the kidnapped students of the Government Science College Kagara.

Bandits had in the early hours of February 17, 2021 attacked Government Science College Kangara in Niger State and abducted 42 persons, including 27 students, three teachers and 12 of their family members.

The Governor who received the Senate Chief Whip and former Abia state Governor Orji Uzor Kalu, who was at government house to commiserate with the people of the state over the series of security challenges facing the state, said though the federal government sent a delegation to the state and deployed more policemen, it had done nothing to help in securing the release of the victims.

He claimed that the Niger government had been left to shoulder all the financial responsibility that will lead to the release of the abducted students.

“At the moment we have not seen any federal support here since this incident occurred. Yes, we had a delegation that came to commiserate with us, but we are left to ourselves.

“With or without any support, the state government has already made a commitment to the people of the state to rescue the abducted school children and therefore we will do everything possible to ensure their release unhurt.

“We will use whatever means and resources available to make sure the children return home safely,” Bello said, adding however that “we don’t have exact day and when these children will be released but I am very sure very soon”.

Earlier, the Senate Chief Whip pledged to “smoke out” the bandits if he becomes president

Kalu asked the federal government to set up a special security committee made up of all the forces to assist Niger state in searching for the kidnapped school children, saying the establishment of the special security committee will fast track the rescue of the school children and others in captivity .

Exchanging views with newsmen after the visit, the former Abia state governor said if he becomes president of Nigeria “I will smoke out all the bandits from their hiding places”.

Kalu said he did not believe in giving amnesty to bandits and that “If I am in charge I will not negotiate with bandits.

“If I am in charge I will not negotiate with bandits, I will smoke them away, I cannot negotiate with terrorists, Never”.

He disclosed that the federal government was mapping out plans that will lead to the wiping out of bandits in the country within the next three months.

“The governments are planning very well, they are strategising, they are building up momentum, they are building up the force to save the Nigerian people,” he declared.

In answer to another question, Kalu threw his weight behind rotational presidency saying that “Rotational presidency will bring peace, it is good for capacity building, rotating the presidency will help the country”.

The Senate Chief Whip however said Nigerians should stop discussing the issue of 2023 presidency because it will distract the incumbent President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Senate Chief Whip also paid similar visits to two former leaders of the country, General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida and General Abdulsalami Abubakar, as well as the Emir of Minna, Dr Umar Farouq Bahago.