President Muhamadu Buhari has warned terrorists, bandits, and other criminals targeting schools in the country that he won’t allow them to destroy the educational system in the country.
The President issued the stern warning in a statement on Saturday through his spokesperson, Garba Shehu where he reacted to the recent abduction of students from the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Kaduna State who were abducted on Thursday night from their school premises.
It will be recalled that gunmen suspected to be bandits stormed the school, broke through the perimeter fence, and abducted some students.
Reacting to the incident, the President sympathized with all those affected by the ordeal and expressed hope that those kidnapped would soon regain their freedom and be reunited with their families.
The President in his statement, “commended efforts and contributions of local intelligence in significantly thwarting the kidnappers, saying that a country which has an efficient local intelligence network is a safer country.
“Our military may be efficient and well-armed but it needs good efforts for the nation’s defense and the local population must rise to this challenge of the moment.”
Meanwhile, Naija News reports that the bandits who kidnapped students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, Afaka, Igabi local government area of Kaduna State, have requested for a ransom of N500 million to release the students.
According to DailyTrust, three parents of the victims have confirmed that the bandits have requested for the sum of N500 million.
The kidnappers have also released videos showing the abductees in the forest.
They used the Facebook account of the abducted students, while they were seen flogging them.
In another development, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has reacted to allegations by the NSA, Maj Gen Babagana Monguno (retd), that a huge amount of money approved for arms purchase has gone missing.
Monguno made the revelation in an interview with BBC Hausa on Friday.
On whether an investigation has commenced on the issue, the NSA said, “I am sure the president will investigate this. As I am talking to you now, even the Nigerian Governors Forum has started questioning where the money is. So I assure you that the president is not playing with anything that has to do with the people.”
When Daily Trust contacted the spokesman of EFCC, Wilson Uwujaren, said he could not say whether the commission would investigate the immediate past service chiefs.
According to him, there was no fact before the EFCC to show that ex-service chiefs mismanaged money meant for ammunition as noted by the NSA.