Because the world celebrates Christmas Day right now, 11 of the 24 college students of Gusau Federal College in Zamfara State who have been kidnapped by bandits on September 20 stay in captivity.
Additionally, two corps members who have been kidnapped on August 29, 2023 on their method to the Nationwide Youth Service Corps Everlasting Orientation Camp in Sokoto are but to regain their freedom. They spent 128 days in captivity.
The PUNCH reviews that on September 20, 2023, bandits invaded the off-campus hostels of FUGUS in Sabon-Gida village, close to the college, in massive numbers and kidnapped 24 feminine college students.
The marauding bandits, who invaded the group round 3am and shot indiscriminately, led the varsity college students into the forest.
Regardless of being engaged in a duel by the military, which responded to a misery name, the bandits managed to kidnap 24 college students.
Nonetheless, a mixed group of the military and different safety operatives chased the bandits into the forest in two separate operations and have been in a position to rescue 13 college students three days after the incident.
On the time of submitting this report, the remaining eleven college students, all ladies, are nonetheless in captivity and are prone to spend their Christmas Day within the woods.
Final week, through the matriculation examinations for brand new college students, the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Muazu Abubakar, prayed for the speedy launch of the scholars nonetheless held by bandits.
The Vice Chancellor suggested the brand new college students to be further vigilant and security aware of their each day actions.
He mentioned: “I attraction to all college students to be further vigilant and security aware of their each day actions. Report any suspicious motion of people or teams to the closest safety officers or acceptable college authorities.
“And to our kidnapped college students, I want to guarantee them that they’re all the time in our hearts and that we all the time pray for his or her security and speedy launch.”
In an try to draw the eye of the related authorities, the mother and father of the kidnapped college students staged a peaceable demonstration on the gate of the Gusau Authorities Home, demanding the discharge of their kids who have been kidnapped by bandits virtually 4 months in the past.
The mother and father, who hail from totally different states of the federation, blocked the principle gate of the Authorities Home, in an try to attract the eye of each the Federal and Zamfara State governments to their plight.
One of many protesters, who gave his title as Yakubu Mohammed, mentioned he got here all the way in which from Abuja to hitch the protest as each the state and federal governments had did not rescue their kids.
He mentioned: “My daughter, Naziratu Mohammed, is among the many college students of Federal College Gusau who have been kidnapped from their hostel virtually 4 months in the past.
“We have now adopted all the required steps to save lots of our youngsters, however sadly there was no constructive end result.”
One other mum or dad, Bashir Yakubu, mentioned because the college students have been kidnapped, no concrete steps had been taken by authorities to make sure their launch.
Yakubu, who was from Suleija in Niger State, mentioned his daughter Umaima Mohammed Bashir was amongst these kidnapped.
He mentioned: “We complained to the vice-chancellor, who instructed us there was nothing the college may do.”
Responding to calls from the mother and father of the kidnapped college students, the Vice Chancellor mentioned the varsity authorities have been doing their finest to rescue the kidnapped college students.
He mentioned: “We have now met the mother and father of the kidnapped college students to console them over this unhappy growth. We have now additionally contacted all related authorities and since then we now have began praying for the discharge of the scholars as there may be nothing we are able to do aside from this.”
Reacting to the mother and father' demonstration, Zamfara State Info Commissioner Munnir Haidara instructed The PUNCH that the state authorities, led by Governor Dauda Lawal, was doing its finest to sort out insecurity.
“Presently, obligatory measures are being taken by the state authorities to rescue the kidnapped college students. It isn’t proper for me to make this matter public within the media. The state authorities is properly conscious of the traumatic state of affairs for each the mother and father and the kidnapped college students.
“I want to categorical my condolences to the scholars and their mother and father over this unhappy incident however I guarantee them that one thing is being achieved to save lots of the scholars by the grace of God.”
The PUNCH additionally reviews that gunmen kidnapped the eight potential corps members in Zamfara whereas they have been on their method from Uyo in Akwa Ibom State to the NYSC Orientation Camp in Sokoto. Whereas six of the corps members have been launched to this point – three on September 18, one on October 22 and two others on December 8 – two of the corps members stay in captivity to at the present time.
Information exhibits {that a} whole of 61 corps members have been kidnapped prior to now eight years, 18 of which occurred between March 2022 and August 2023.
In the meantime, the Director Basic of the NYSC, Brig. Basic Yusha'u Ahmed has repeatedly said that certainly one of his five-point insurance policies was to “enhance the protection and well-being of corps members and personnel.”
On the time of submitting this report, the NYSC had not made any statements relating to any efforts to rescue the remainder of the kidnapped corps members on or earlier than New 12 months.
Efforts to get remark from the NYSC Spokesperson, Eddy Megwa, on the progress made to this point got here to nothing on Sunday when he instructed our correspondent to go to the workplace to ask any questions on the matter.
