Former vice president Atiku Abubakar has applauded the efforts of security agencies in the release of the 287 students abducted in Kuriga community of Kaduna State.
The State Governor, Uba Sani, earlier today, broke the news of the release of the students, saying they were unharmed.
Bandits had on March 7 invaded Kuriga, a community in Chikun Local Government of Kaduna State, and abducted the students.
Since the unfortunate incident, efforts had been on to ensure their safe release to be reunited with their parents. The combined efforts paid off as Governor Sani announced the release of the students.
Reacting to the news of their release, Atiku in a statement published on his official X account, lauded the various security agencies for their relentless efforts, which culminated in the release of the students.
He also urged the federal government to be proactive and put mechanisms in place, like the Safe School Initiative which ensures the protection of schools and forestalls attacks on educational institutions.
Atiku wrote: “I am elated at the news of the release of the 287 abducted school children in Kaduna after 16 days in captivity. I commend all those who worked tirelessly to make their release a reality.
“As we celebrate with their families and friends, let’s be mindful that, like stage four cancer, this state of insecurity that has befallen our nation is metastasising and needs proactive measures to stem it. I can only imagine the trauma that these vulnerable children have suffered. It is recommended that the children receive psychotherapic care by professionals.
“We also do not need to wait for the next incident before putting mechanisms in place to forestall it. To this end, I recommend the strengthening of the Safe School Initiative that prioritises the protection of schools, especially in the areas that are most vulnerable to mass kidnap of school children. But above all, there should be an overhaul of the security architecture to meet the demands of the threats facing us. -AA”
