By Our Reporter
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has reiterated it opposition to negotiation with bandits.
The association’s Secretary General, Mr. Joseph Daramola, in an interview with our reporter raised posers over the negotiation.
He said: “Then, one government is negotiating with the bandits. How do you know where they are? How do you know who did it? Then, you must be one of those who planned it. Someone is using them to trade. CAN rejects this kind of attitude.
“How do we think in this country? if you are not educated, what do you know about amnesty? The bandits are destroying this country. Because of what people will benefit they are not telling the man in charge the truth.
“There is multiplication of sorrows in the country. People can no longer go to their farms to work. They now use the frontage of their houses. Our education sector has been destroyed.
“We need God’s intervention and by the power of God, it will come to an end very soon”.
He added: “It is very sad that attention has been shifted to schools now, and we call them leaders of tomorrow and they are being kidnapped by bandits.
“Right from the days of Chibok girls till now. Look at Leah Shaibu. We are saying this authoritatively that she is now a mother. Now, the kidnappers has truncated her ambition in life to be come an educated person.
“President Muhammadu Buhari has the executive power under the constitution of this country to do and undo. The president should be interested in the future of these children.
“The truth is that, our president should wake up, if he genuinely likes the country. Nigeria is sleeping. Nigeria is now another Afghanistan. Nobody is sure that when you leave your house in the morning, you are sure if coming back.
“The bandits are now focusing their attention to destroy the future on this country.”
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) described the Jangebe schoolgirls abduction as “one case too many and the fact that this kidnap happens without any form of opposition from the security apparatus calls for serious concern,” he said.
NANA President Sunday Asefon lamented the emotional trauma the kids would have gone through, saying this may have a lasting influence on their perspective about school and education.
He said: “Well-meaning Nigerians must be very concerned about this recent development. The nation currently faces multi-dimensional security challenges and continuous threats to the safety and security of our schools and this can no longer be tolerated.
“The event of recent times has made it expedient for the government to change its approach to the scourge of school kidnap, especially in the North. It is therefore imperative for the kidnappers to be declared as terrorists and treated as such.
“NANS under my leadership will not just fold our arms while these enemies of the nation are allowed to shatter the very fabrics of our educational system and make our schools a no-go area.
“It is in our mutual interest to realistically design a new approach to fighting this coward terrorism against our very vulnerable school kids.”