By Emmanuel Oladesu, Deputy Editor; Okodili Ndidi, Abuja, AbdulGafar Alabelewe, Kaduna and Augustine Okezie, Katsina

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday came under the hammer of Northern elders and the Jama’atu Nasril Islam (JNI) over weekend’s abduction of 333 students of the Government Science Secondary School in Kankara, Katsina State.

While the elders lamented that the “President’s idea about insecurity has proved inadequate to deal with the threat to our lives and property,” the JNI said the schoolboys’ abduction by bandits amounted to a slap on Buhari’s face.

Also on Monday, the United Nations (UN) described the incident as “a violation of human rights” and urged the safe return of the children to their families.

Before the mass abduction, Katsina and other states in the Northwest had been under onslaught by bandits.

The 333 pupils were part of the 884 students that were in the school’s hostel when the bandits struck. Four hundred and twenty of them surfaced before the Minister of Defence, Gen. Bashiir Magashi, and Service Chiefs paid a sympathy visit to Governor Aminu Masari on Sunday.

The Northern elders, under the aegis of the Coalition of Northern Elders for Peace and Development (CNEPD) , said in a statement by their National Coordinator, Zana Goni, and National Women Leader, Mario Bichi, that the attack on the students, further confirmed that the nation’s security architecture was in dire need of a total overhaul.


The group therefore, reiterated its call on Buhari to sack the service chiefs because “they are no more in charge of the security situation in the North and the entire country.”

It recalled that the National Assembly had also called for the removal of the service chiefs since their inability to stem the rising security challenges “was emboldening the adversaries in their increasing dastardly actions against the country.”

The CNEPD also suggested to the President to quickly “seek foreign help to avoid the extinction of the North through increasing mass killings of its people by the terrorists.”

According to the statement: “the latest attack on Government Science Secondary School confirms our position that our region is now at the mercy of terrorists, bandits and other criminal elements.

“As a result of this, we strongly believe that time has come for our President to bring in fresh hope and clear directions on how best the country will strategise to overcome the present insecurity situation in the country in general.

“At the boiling point, we have found ourselves today, we strongly believe that it will not be out of place to seek assistance in dealing with these threats from outside.

“We would say in the strongest possible terms that there can be no justification for the deliberate targeting of innocent school children.

“The service chiefs have lost the support of human, nature, and spirit and also exhausted their energies, ideas and capacities hence can no longer turn around the country’s security for good.

“President’s idea about insecurity has proved inadequate to deal with the threat to our lives and property. He “urgently needs change tactics and personnel in order to win the war against rising threats to the lives of Nigerians.”

The JNI said the boldness displayed by the bandits while carrying out the abduction of the students on the day the President arrived Katsina State was a slap on him.

The JNI, in a statement by its Secretary-General, Khalid Aliyu,called for a rejig of the security architecture since “there are insinuations that for pecuniary benefits, some top echelon among the security operatives don’t want the insecurity to end..”

The group implored Buhari to address the nation, instead of his administration: issuing “empty condemnations whenever tragedies strike.” It said: “How come the bandits took their time, gather the schoolboys, heaped them on bikes, and whisked them away without being rounded up by the security agencies? Mr. President needs to hearken to the call of Nigerians.

Revamp the security architecture and address the nation.

“This abduction in commando-style is one tragedy too many coming on the heels of the infamous Zabarmari massacre just not long ago.

“This indeed is a sad reminder of the abductions of Schoolgirls in Chibok and Dapchi of Borno and Yobe states of Northeast, and it’s an indicator that the powers that be don’t read the present through the spectacle of the past; this wouldn’t have happened.

“The Kankara abduction was so belligerently orchestrated that it happened the day Mr. President arrived in Katsina State on a private visit… This further proves what we once said that the bandits rule in many communities and do as they wish with impunity.”

The group prayed for the safe and urgent return of the missing pupils and commiserated with their families.

https://thenationonlineng.net/north-elders-jni-attack-buhari-over-schoolboys-abduction/

.

Is this how to attack a failure?

Why not tell him to resign and never in his next life venture into politics. His achievement is the safeguard of his cattle. He cares less of humans.

Buhari na golden boy for North oooo.


This is fake news.

Eventually, something has to give. Unfortunately, a lot of innocent Nigerians would have suffered collateral damage.

My only problem is how come people that can not afford 3 square meals a day can afford AK-47?

YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW!

Hmmm

I will never insult my president no matter what because he is a leader but if I ever have the opportunity of meeting him I will advise him to change his friends..

i wont insult my president no matter what because he is a leader but if I ever have the opportunity of meeting him I will advise him to change his friends

AS if the person they assumed to be Bubu will heed to their advise.

In fact all na fake news.

In all of these, where is Prof. Akintola of MURIC?

What does he has to say?

At least, the Sultan have been voicing out his displeasure with the whole thing going on.

Because he (Akintola) is very good at giving every opposing opinion of the Buhari gov't a religious coloration whenever it's coming from someone of a different faith.

Le mi jus stop here.

Don't we have special forces and snipers?

The kidnappers' location is known

Spot on! The redundant coupist is all shades of disasters!

Dude's Nigeria's worst blunder!

Prof. Mumuric, what sayeth thou?

Terrorist country

Bubu the Kastina boy.

It is high time that Buhari is impeached. Everything is now upside down since this man assumed power.

LET EVEN ALL THE STATES LEAVING ONLY THE FEDERAL CAPITAL BE KIDNAPPED THAT WILL NOT SHAKE OR MAKE ANY DECISIONS FOR A CHANGE OF OLD APPROACH SERVICE CHIEF

What has he achieved appointing the Northeners at all strategic positions

Army Chief north
Air chief north
Naval chief North
NSA north
Police chief north
etc

in fact that's the reason the administration can not produce any meaningful result because about 75% of northerners in these positions did not merit it , they always get to top by appointment.

abeg tel am to mix d egusi wit vegitable ....thank u

/





The North must produce the President.

They have finally realized that ethnicism is never a solution. Kudos to Buhari for proving naysayers right.

When it rains, it pours! The service chiefs must stay. Buhari not being overthrown is more important than the lives of Northerners

Time to play that "Telli person" song.

/

I thought under Buhari the security situation is now relatively better

Una think say bad and incompetent govt gives a hoot about your plight?

When people protest about evil, pls don't go about and raise placard in support of same evil just because you've not tasted it. Rather support people's protest so that the evil will not reach your domot.

Make una liff awa president alone. Which kain nonsense.

Thesee northern elders or whatever they are called, want to cause disaffection against buhari and we will not allow it.

A weak verbal attack.

Northern youths wont say anything now, the only time they come on social media to attack, is when southerners wants better living conditions for all Nigerians including them, most times i wonder how they think, only there elders and religious leaders that do speak for them

Abeg who get DURIC number

Or

Muric address

I here say their server get problem

Make I go fix am

kunkelhanspeter:
My only problem is how come people that can not afford 3 square meals a day can afford AK-47?

a typical fulani uses all his money for one thing;to buy weapon

Waiting for Arrewa to come do his usual....

Buhari no dey fear attack.

DimIsaac10:
I will never insult my president no matter what because he is a leader but if I ever have the opportunity of meeting him I will advise him to change his friends..

to change friends like you

What are they attacking him with, foolish elders. If bubu offer them small money now, them go begin praise him like zombies