National Coordinator, Concerned Advocates for Good Governance, CAGG, Barrister Olusegun Bamgbose, Esq., has given President Muhammadu Buhari seven days to secure the release of 348 students held hostage by bandits.
Bamgbose said he will do everything humanly possible to ensure the release of the students if the Buhari government fails to do so in the next week.
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The group vowed that it will do whatever it takes while informing the traumatized parents that their children will soon regain freedom, Bamgbose told DAILY POST on Friday,.
“Take me by my word. This is not political talk but reality. We shall make wide consultations and get these students out soon.”
“It is never a good development that our students have become easy prey to the heartless bandits, who have formed the habit of abducting them for the sake of ransom,” he added.
There are over 348 students currently held hostage by bandits with the latest abduction of 121 students in Kaduna State.
About 227 are still languishing in bandits’ dens many weeks after they were abducted from their schools in Niger, Kebbi and Kaduna State.
In Niger State, no less than 136 pupils of Salihu Tanko Islamiya School, Tegina, were abducted on May 30 and they are yet to be released by their abductors.
In Kebbi State, 83 students and 7 staff members of the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri are still in captivity of the bandits 19 days after the hoodlums abducted 94 students and 8 workers from the school.
“Things cannot continue this way. I feel for these innocent students, especially the female ones that could suffer sexual abuse. I believe the time to decisively act has come.
“We will give President Buhari just 7 days to secure the release of these 348 students held hostage by the bandits or we shall do everything humanly possible to get them out of the bandits’ cage. One can’t imagine what these students are passing through and even the parents.
“As a parent, I know what it is to have one of my children held. Enough is enough. The ultimatum ends on the 16th day of July. Whatever it takes, I want to inform the traumatized parents that their wards will soon regain freedom.
“Take me by my word. This is not political talk but reality. We shall make wide consultations and get these students out soon. We shall involve the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, of which Yerima Shettima is the leader and also Coalition of South East East Youth Leaders, COSEYL, and other stakeholders, the President General being Goodluck Ibem.
“All hands must be on deck to get these students released before the end of this month. Everyone should be concerned. There should be no atom of ethnic discrimination whatsoever. Yes, they are from the North, but they are Nigerians.
“The issue should not be the tribe, but the country. I want to passionately urge the Buhari administration to ensure that these students regain freedom in the next 7 days. If this fails, we shall immediately swing into action to get them out of captivity.”