Gov. Uba Sani of Kaduna State has pledged to get back all the students abducted by bandits in Kuriga, Chikun Local Government Area of the state, on Thursday.
The governor pledged, when he visited the community, to commiserate with them over the incident.
He, however, said that the total number of those kidnapped has not been ascertained, but the government is working with the school management and the community to get the actual number.
The governor told the community members that he had received assurances of support from President Bola Tinubu and the National Security Adviser (NSA), Nuhu Ribadu, to get the students back home safely.
He urged the community members not to despair but to work with the government to secure the release of the children and reinforce security there.
Sani particularly appealed to the parents of the abducted children to exercise patience, assuring that the government would not let them down.
The governor said that he was pained over the incident and would not relent in getting the primary and secondary school pupils and students reunited with their parents.
Sani was briefed by the District Head, Alhaji Lawal Abdullahi, on the incident at LEA Primary and Secondary School in Kuriga, where a valiant vigilante member who confronted the bandits lost his life.
He said that both the President and the NSA have given “strong assurances” that all measures have been taken to bring back the pupils and students.
“A security committee will be established in Kuriga, with membership drawn from key stakeholders in the Kuriga community, security agencies, and the state government.
“I will make a strong case to the Chief of Defence Staff and Chief of Army Staff for the establishment of a military base in Kuriga to strengthen security in the area,” Sani added.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the governor, in a statement later, said the Kuriga incident has reinforced the need for state police.
“The unfortunate Kuriga incident reinforces our positions in support of the establishment of state police.
“With State Police, there will be a standing police force in Kuriga drawn from members of the community who understand the terrain, the people, and the issues at play.
“They can gather intelligence with ease. They will also be constitutionally empowered to bear arms, including sophisticated ones.
“This is important because vigilante groups are not allowed to carry arms.
“They are always at the mercy of these criminal elements who have scant regard for human life,” he added. (NAN)
Vanguard/Simeon Ugbodovon
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