School Abductions: Enough is Enough, Says FG

 

Barely 24 hours after boasting to Nigerians that the Zamfara School Girls abduction would be the last case of major kidnapping in the country, the Minister of Aviation, Hadi Sirika, has warned that enemies of President Muhammadu Buhari could plan more of such incidents in order to embarrass the President. 

The Minister had while representing the President on a sympathy visit to Zamfara state on Sunday told Governor Bello Matawalle and his team that the federal government had put measures in place to ensure the Zamfara School abduction is the last that would happen anywhere in the country. 

The minister however admitted on Monday that some people who do not mean well for the administration may want to embarrass the government with more attacks on schools. 

Speaking to State House correspondents, after a meeting with President Buhari, the minister said: “On the fear that those who do not mean well for the country can try to do it (attack schools) to embarrass government, because government said that attack will be the last by the grace of God; it is a possibility."

He continued: "Yes, there may be a possibility that some people will try to do it to embarrass government, but government has the resources to continue to give the best in terms of security in this country. 

"We think and we hope, but especially by the grace of God, that this will be the last that we will see in this country.”

He cited a “rejigged national architecture” as part of the strategies put in place by Buhari and his regime to forestall further attack on schools.

 Sirika said the President Buhari had done “everything possible” to ensure safety of schools in the country.

 317 girls had been abducted from Government Girls Secondary School, Jangebe, Zamfara State last Thursday. 

“But Mr President and the government has done everything possible to ensure safety of schools. 

"The government has recently rejigged the national security architecture and it is an ongoing exercise.

“Everything that is possible to stop this, government is putting it in place, and by the special grace of God, it should be the last this country will see," the minister reiterated. 

Sirika added that apart from improved intelligence gathering, the government is also working on the supply of equipment and weapons as well as training and retraining of security personnel.

“Everything that is humanly possible by any government to put in place, to ensure security of lives and property, is being put together to ensure that this doesn’t happen.

Like I said, it is an ongoing thing and government is committed to it and will continue to do so,” he added.

Asked what gives him the impression that the government can make Nigeria safe for all, Sirika cited the reduction of activities of the Boko Haram sect as proof.

He recalled that before now, members of the sect were bombing places like Abuja and mosques in Kano. 

He said such situation had become a thing of the past.

“Don’t forget, the present President could be a civilian President, but he is a true Commander-in-Chief and he had been there before and he is doing his best.

“I am sure if you will do justice to this government, you will say it has done much better than it was before,” he said