CAN To FG: Stop School Children’s Abductions

The Christian Association of Nigeria(CAN), has called on the Federal Government to prove that it is in charge by guiding against school children abduction in the country in 2022.

Since the abduction of 276 female school children in Chibok, Borno in 2014, abductions in schools have become recurring in the country.

According to Punch, no fewer than 821 students were abducted across the northern states in 2021. About 59 of the victims are still being held captive.

The United Nations Children Emergency Fund had decried the situation and classified Nigeria, Somalia, Chad, Cameroon and Niger as countries with the highest cases of abduction.

In an interview with Punch on Monday, the Vice Chairman of CAN, North, Rev. Joseph Ayahab, said another abduction this year would mean the government had fallen and lacked the will to tackle insecurity in the country.

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He said, ‘’School children abductions must be stopped from happening this year. If the government does not take measures to stop school abduction, then the government would have completely fallen and given in to the bandits who are offshoots of Boko Haram.

‘’They do not believe in Western education and abducting school children is not about money, it is to discourage the children from going to school.

“We must not allow them to win, the government must prove it is in charge.

‘’We must not play with the future of our children. That means we must do everything possible to encourage education but since bandits are attacking schools, their aim is to weaken the education system.

‘’We may not understand the implication of their actions until many years later. Government must ensure wherever there is school, it should be secured.’’

He also advised that schools exposed to security threats should be shut and moved to secured places or the students be merged with others in secured environments.

Ayahab added, ‘’During this political era, many schools have been opened even when they do not have students. There could be some kind of merger.”