From Victor Osula, Abuja
Prof. Dickson Akoh, Commandant, Peace Corp of Nigeria
The Peace Corps of Nigeria, PCN, has condemned the kidnapping of school children in some parts of the north and advised that the sad development if not urgently addressed will disrupt the country’s educational system.
Briefing journalists on Monday in Abuja on the incessant kidnapping, PCN National Commandant, Prof. Dickson Akoh called on the Federal Government to urgently come up with policies geared towards ensuring the safety of persons, schools and colleges , adding that the country was passing through security challenges that seems to have defy prescribed or conventional solution.
Akoh appealed to the leadership of the National Assembly to fast-track the passage of the Peace Corps Bill for President Muhammadu Buhari to assent to.
According to him: “the Peace Corps of Nigeria, join all voices of reasoning to unequivocally condemn the spates of sustained and repressive attacks by way of invasion, killings, pillaging, kidnapping for ransom and rape by bandits on educational institutions, especially secondary schools in parts of the Country.
“Earlier on, the kidnappers vis-à-vis the bandits focused their attack on the elites and political office holders in the name of ventilating their anger and frustrations. But now, redirecting their attention on innocent youths and students, being soft targets, is to say the least an act taken too far and this calls for drastic measures to be emplaced if the war against banditry is to be won.
“Peace Corps of Nigeria urges the Federal Government to urgently come up with conscious and deliberate policies geared towards protecting, securing and safeguarding our institutions of learning from further attacks by the marauding bandits”.
So far, according to Akoh, statistics reveals that from Chibok to Jangede 1,140 students have been abducted in seven years with some of them either killed, forcefully married away, maimed or remained traumatised even after regaining freedom.
The banditry and the attendant horror being visited on our schools, Akoh said: “if not urgently addressed frankly and frontally, will not only instil psychological fear on the students, which is capable of creating a disconnect in our educational system, with grievous implications on national development.
“However, as serious as the situation may be, this is not the best of time to either trade blame or embark on divisive tendencies rather, our collective commitments should be on how all and sundry can come together and form a strong bond against banditry and terrorism under any guise.
“As being the case of the western society, the time is ripe for the government to fortify security measures within and around educational institutions. Such arrangements beside securing educational institutions against intruders, is also to guarantee the safety of students and keep track of movement around institutions of learning with a view to properly transmit incidents of strange movement of people to appropriate security agencies for preemptive measures. In other civilised climes, every aspect of social life has its specialised security network.
“The primary focus of the Peace Corps of Nigeria is to secure educational institutions from intruders and also combat all forms of social vices with a view to create a peaceful and conducive atmosphere for learning”.
