Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State on Tuesday, February 2, 2021, stirred the hornet’s nest when he alleged that the abduction of 279 students from Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, Zamfara State, was politically motivated.
According to Matawalle, the people behind the kidnapping offered money to the bandits to sabotage the negotiation between the state government and the kidnappers for the release of the girls.
The students were abducted by bandits at the school on Friday, February 26, 2021.
“While the state was in negotiation with (the) abductors for the release of the schoolgirls, other persons offered money to the armed bandits to keep the girls in captivity,” the governor said.
He stated this while addressing the freed Jangebe schoolgirls at the Government House in Gusau, the state capital.
The governor said he had relayed the information to the police and relevant security agencies to investigate the matter, pledging to expose those behind the act.
This is the second time in one week the governor would make such statement, and based on the fact that he is a sitting governor and the chief security officer of the state, the statement must be taken with all seriousness it deserves. For no reason should it be swept under the carpet.
From the statement, it is obvious the governor has vital information many Nigerians do not have and it is advisable he discloses to Nigerians the sponsors of this dastardly act. The time of keeping quiet or treating criminality as ‘business as usual’ should be over.
The governor should please speak out. He should call a spade by its proper name. He must tell Nigerians those behind the killings, destructions and kidnappings across Nigeria. Nigeria needs to get to the root of this madness.
Unfortunately, kidnapping has become such a lucrative business in Nigeria that people now serve as middlemen in negotiating between the government/victims’ relations and the bandits. Human lives no longer matter but ransom taking.
For instance, on Monday, March 1, 2021, controversial Islamic scholar, Ahmad Gumi described the kidnapping of school children as lesser evil compared to the ransacking of towns and killing of its residents.
He made the remark while featuring on BBC Pidgin. Given the mediatory roles Gumi is playing in the kidnapping saga in Nigeria he should also volunteer information on the sponsors and perpetrators of the crime. He should equally tell Nigerians how much he has received so far as commission from the voyages and his relationship with the bandits he defends.
Sadly, shootings, bombings, kidnappings, arson, car and suicide bombings are ubiquitous and have heightened the spate of insecurity in the nation. For us to make progress as a nation, the spate of wanton killings must be stopped. No nation can make meaningful progress under such a situation.
Apart from igniting fear; insecurity has become the common word on the lips of every Nigerian and a discussion topic where two or three persons gather. The presence of several illegal armed groups, ethnic militia groups, religious fundamentalists and fanatics does not augur well for us as a nation.
Obviously, these happenings are negatively affecting Nigeria economically, politically, religiously and culturally. Even the international community is losing confidence in the ability of Nigeria to contain the situation.
But if I may ask. What does it profit an adult to kidnap young innocent school children, especially those in boarding school? It started seven years ago in Chibok community in Borno State on April 14, 2014, when Boko Haram terrorists abducted hundreds of school girls from their dormitories at a time the students were writing their final year examination.
Then followed the abduction on February 18, 2018 of another 110 schoolgirls by Boko Haram in Dapchi town of Yobe State. On December 11, 2020, suspected gunmen attacked Government Boys Science Secondary School in Kankara Local Government Area of Katsina State and took away over 300 students. Incidentally, President Buhari was in his Daura home town of Katsina State at the time.
On February 13, 2021, another set of bandits abducted 27 students and 15 others at Government Science School, Kagara in Niger State. The last and most recent was the abduction of 317 female students on February 26, 2021, by bandits at Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, Zamfara State, in an early morning raid on their school. Many of the Chibok and Dapchi students are yet to be rescued and reunited with their families several years after they were kidnapped.
Suffice it to say that these kidnappings as well as destruction of farmlands and other heinous crimes all over the country paint a picture of a deteriorating security situation in the country and a growing assertiveness of bandit groups.
That the gunmen were able to move hundreds of boys and girls through the roads without challenge shows security in the areas is inadequate. Successful negotiation resulting in the release of kidnap victims is one thing that is fuelling the spate of kidnappings across the country, making it a lucrative business with huge returns.
Many armed groups operate in the forests therefore reaching an agreement of good conduct with one of them does not guarantee that others would not embark on a similar venture in the future, especially when certain concessions are made.
Nigerians should learn to hold those in government accountable. The Federal Government should be disgusted with what is currently happening. It is ironic that while government is willing to part with millions of naira to placate the criminals, Nigerian soldiers have lost morale, defending the nation with no proper care, facilities and equipment.
Therefore, exposing the sponsors of kidnappings would not only bring the heinous acts to an end but would equally enable Nigerians and indeed the international community to name and shame these unpatriotic elements in society.
