Kebbi State Governor, Atiku Bagudu, has met with President Muhammadu Buhari to brief him on the recent abduction of some students and staff of Federal Government College, Birni Yauri, calling for the unity of Nigerians in the effort to curtail criminality in the country.
Speaking to correspondents after the meeting at the presidential villa, Abuja on Tuesday night, he revealed that he apprised the president of the efforts to rescue the kidnap victims, which he said have recorded some successes.
The governor lauded the security agencies for rescuing some of the abductees saying that the security agencies needed more support from all Nigerians to end the challenges of insecurity across the country.
Bagudu said the President restated his directive to security agencies to deal with criminal elements in the society, noting that more governors would mobilise against the “criminal elements” in the coming days.
He said: “I visited Mr President, President Muhammadu Buhari, to further brief him about the unfortunate incidents in Kebbi State, at the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, where a number of bandits overwhelmed the security agencies and abducted a number of pupils, teaching staff and non-teaching staff and the regrettable loss of life by of a police officer in the process and some pupils also and those who were wounded in the process, and those who are still in the hands of the terror gang even though some successes have been commendably achieved by the rescue of some pupils and teachers.
“I explained to him that the security agencies have mobilised and are doing a great job, assisted by the military, the Air Force, the police, civil defence, vigilante and community leaders. They are still at it and they’re doing a great job, but we need more support from all Nigerians and in fact all to ensure that we give them our maximum cooperation to finish what they have started.
“President has, as always, expressed sympathy to those innocent persons who are held hostage against their will by terror elements and he condemned the action of all terror groups, wherever they are, whether there are bandits, Boko Haram, or any group that is taking away the liberty and freedoms and, in fact, lives and livelihoods of others.
“He maintained the instruction he has always given to the security agencies to give their maximum best in dealing with those criminal elements.
“Our stand, I have made it very clear, this is condemnable, this should not happen and all people of goodwill, all good people should mobilise to confront evil and evil elements and criminal elements in our society. It’s not just a job for the security agencies, we have to support them. We have to mobilise.
“Since I made that statement, which I meant by every stretch of the imagination, many groups have come out to demonstrate similar supports and yesterday we have seen mobilisation by the Niger state governor and I believe we’ll see more in the coming days.
“Nigerians should unite so that we confront criminality. Even yesterday, Fulani leaders in Kebbi state all visited Government House, Kebbi, even though I was not there to receive them, to condemn and to distance themselves from those renegade groups, or renegade criminal elements and to offer to support in whatever role the security agencies will want them to play.”
Continuing, Bagudu added: “On Friday, I spent about three hours in the school where I met the very courageous parents and they are appreciative of the effort of the security agencies, particularly the police officers, who are providing security in the school and the principal and staff of the school and also what other security agencies are still doing in the field.
“While offering our sympathies to all those innocent young ones and teachers who are being held, they also appreciated that this thing requires unity of purpose by all Nigerians and that is what will show support to them in calling all governors and even without calling them, they are eager to do it. But this is further a wake-up call to all of us.”
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Abductions: Kebbi governor calls for unity in fight against criminality
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