* Governor condemns abduction
The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) and Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) have asked Kaduna State governor, Nasir el-Rufai, to resign his position over the escalating insecurity in the State.
They hinged their calls on the fact that the governor has failed in his responsibility as the chief security officer of the State and his refusal to negotiate with kidnappers.
Only yesterday, 26 students were kidnapped by armed bandits at Bethel Baptist School, Maraban Rido, Chikun Local Council of Kaduna State.
Police said that security operatives are on the trail of the bandits.
Chairman of CAN, Kaduna chapter, Rev. Joseph Hayab, who is a Baptist senior pastor, explained that students in the hostel’s register before the kidnap were 180, adding: “They counted the students this (Monday) morning and they said 174 could not be accounted for.”
Rufai has described the incident as unfortunate and evil to humanity.
The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home, Samuel Aruwan, said: “The governor is following the development and receiving hourly situation reports.”
HURIWA blamed Governor el-Rufai and President Muhammadu Buhari for the kidnap of students in Kaduna and other northern states, regretting the alleged lack of effective and transparent military action to end the menace.
In a statement on Monday, the National Coordinator of HURIWA, Emmanuel Onwubiko, alleged that the kidnappers were being pampered by the Federal government, while slamming el-Rufai for playing to the gallery by enrolling his son to a public school but secretly withdrew him later.
“If el-Rufai has any shame left in him, he should resign (as governor) forthwith for secretly withdrawing these children and trying to speak from both sides of his mouth by claiming that kidnappers were gunning for them. Then 24 hours later, these terrorists abducted several children of the poor,” HURIWA stated.
Meanwhile, el-Rufai has condemned the Monday kidnapping of an unspecified number of students from Bethel Baptist High School, Damishi, Chikun Local Government Area.