Protesters erupted in Kastina State on Sunday by parents and relations of the schoolboys from the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara in the Kankara Local Government Area abducted by bandits on Friday night, with the Nigeria Police teargassing them.
The protesters, led by a woman who identified herself as one of the mothers of the abducted students, demanded their prompt rescue.
The protesters went around the school’s premises and some areas of the town, carrying placards with various messages, among which are ‘Government Must Speak Out,’ ‘We Want Our Children Back’ and ‘We Want Security in Kankara.’
They also chanted songs seeking the rescue of the abducted students.
But the leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Sunday queried the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari “over the unwarranted tear gas attack by the police on the sorrowing parents of the kidnapped students of Government Science Secondary
School, Kankara, Katsina State.”
The PDP described as disturbing that “such callousness could be meted on the grief-stricken parents after President Muhammadu Buhari, who had gone holidaying in the state, failed to protect their children from terrorists.”
In a statement by its Spokesperson, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, the party said “it is indeed sad that instead of going after terrorists and insurgents, that struck few hours after a holidaying President Buhari and his security machinery took over the State, the State apparatus of power is
being used to inflict further pain on the helpless victims.
“Such display of insensitivity further foregrounds the lack of empathy by the Buhari-led All Progressives Congress (APC) administration and serves as a sad reminder of how it also blamed the 43 farmers recently slain by terrorists in Borno state, instead of taking steps to apprehend the
assailants.
“Indeed, our party shares the pains and sorrows of these parents who have been under serious torment since President Buhari arrived Katsina for his needless holidays.
“The PDP therefore calls on the Buhari Presidency to immediately apologize to Nigerians and the parents of the kidnapped students as well as take steps to ensure disciplinary actions on those who ordered the tear gas attack on the parents.
“Our party also restates our call to President Buhari to go in search of and rescue the students, who were kidnapped while his security machinery was in charge of the State.
“The PDP reiterates its stand, in solidarity with the people of Katsina State and other patriotic Nigerians, not to rest until President Buhari finds and rescues each of these young ones.”
Meanwhile, the Coalition of Northern Groups has threatened to mobilize students and youths to go on protest in Katsina state if the abducted students were not rescued on time.
The chairman of the North-West zone of the group, Jamiu Aliyu, who addressed a press conference in Katsina said, “We condemn in totality this barbaric act and call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the culprits, we equally stress the inability of the government to protect those young, innocent, vibrant students from this horrible attack as uncalled for.
“Failure of the government to rescue the missing students within the shortest period, CNG will not hesitate to mobilize hundreds of thousands on the streets of Katsina state for a continuous protest, until the students are fully rescued, even if it’s going to cost our lives.”
