The United States government, yesterday, tasked the Federal Government to ensure those involved in the abductions of schoolgirls and students/pupils in Kebbi and Niger states were brought to book.

This came as the Presidency disclosed yesterday that the US government had agreed to establish a joint working group to enhance counterterrorism operations and deepen security cooperation between both countries.

US, Nigeria agree to fight terror

The group aims to expedite the arms request by Nigeria and share intelligence with the Federal Government.

This is even as Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Niger State, also yesterday released the full list of the students and staff of the school still in the forest with their captors, saying of the 265 declared still missing, 239 were children in the nursery and primary sections of the school.

Endangered future

Amnesty International Nigeria also warned that the wave of mass kidnappings in schools could severely derail educational progress across Northern Nigeria.

On the charge on Nigeria to deal with abductors of students in Kebbi and Niger states, the US, in a tweet by its Bureau of African Affairs, also urged the Federal Government to do more to protect Christians.

It said: “The United States condemns the mass abduction of reportedly over 300 students and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, Nigeria and the kidnapping, just days before, of 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State.

“Those responsible for these crimes must be swiftly captured and held accountable. The Nigerian government must act decisively and do more to protect Christians and ensure Nigerians can live, learn and practice their religion freely without fear or terror.”

Recall that gunmen had on November 17, stormed Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School at Maga in Kebbi State, killing the vice principal, Hassan Makuku, and abducting at least 25 female students.

Four days later, on November 21, gunmen raided St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting 303 students and 12 teachers.

Initial estimates varied, but the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, later confirmed the figures through a census of missing individuals, adding that 50 students managed to escape and reunite with their families.

The abductions marked a surge in school-targeted violence in Nigeria and echoed the 2014 Chibok kidnapping of 276 girls by Boko Haram.

US to speed up arms requests, share intelligence with Nigeria, says presidency

Similarly, the Presidency said yesterday Nigeria and the United States had agreed to work together to fight terrorism that had held down the country since 2009.

The decision, according to the Presidency, followed a series of high-level engagements in Washington, DC, last week between senior US officials and a Nigerian delegation, led by the National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu.

Other members of the delegation included the Attorney-General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi; Inspector General of Police, IGP, Kayode Egbetokun; Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, Olufemi Oloyede; Chief of Defence Intelligence, Emmanuel Parker Undiandeye; Special Adviser to the NSA, Idayat Hassan; and Director of Foreign Relations at the office of the NSA, Ibrahim Babani,

On the US side, the meetings involved the Congress, the State Department, the National Security Council, the Department of War and the White House Faith Office.

Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who disclosed this in statement yesterday, said the US affirmed its readiness to deepen security cooperation with Nigeria.

“Following these engagements, the United States government affirmed its readiness to deepen security cooperation with Nigeria. This includes enhanced intelligence support, expedited processing of defence equipment requests, and the potential provision of excess defence articles, subject to availability, to reinforce ongoing operations against terrorists and violent extremist groups.

“The United States also expressed its willingness to extend complementary support, including humanitarian assistance to affected populations in the Middle Belt and technical support to strengthen early-warning mechanisms.

“Non-binding cooperation

“Both countries agreed to implement immediately a non-binding cooperation framework and to establish a Joint Working Group to ensure a unified and coordinated approach to the agreed areas of cooperation. “In return, the Nigerian delegation reaffirmed the government’s commitment to strengthening civilian protection measures,’’ the statement read.

It said the engagements also offered an opportunity for Nigeria to correct “misconceptions” about the security situation, noting that the delegation “refuted allegations of genocide in Nigeria” and emphasised that violence affects communities “across religious and ethnic lines”.

Onanuga added that the delegation “strongly rejected wrongful framing of the situation, saying such would only divide Nigerians and distort the realities on ground.”

The Federal Government reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening civilian protection as joint efforts with the US intensified.

“The federal government restates its awareness of heightened sensitivities regarding religious freedom and security, and urges citizens to remain assured that firm, urgent, and coordinated steps are being taken to secure the nation,” Onanuga added.

239 Nursery/Primary pupils among 265 victims declared still missing in Niger — Catholic Diocese

In a related development, the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora, Niger state has released full list of the students and staff of the school still in the forest with their captors. Of the 265 declared still missing, according to the Diocese, 239 of them are children in the nursery and primary sections of the school. The release stated: “12 are members of staff of the school, 14 are in the secondary classes, while 239 are from the nursery/primary sections making a total of 265 still with the bandits.”

Vanguard gathered that till now, the bandits are yet to open up any conversation with the school authorities, parents or any government officials, thereby making the exact whereabouts of the abductees unknown. It would be recalled that between last Friday and Saturday, 50 of the students managed to escape during their transition into the forest.

A breakdown, according to the list of the pupils/students officially provided who are still missing, showed that 7 are in nursery 1; 32 nursery 2; 62 in primary 1; 45 in primary 2; 32 in primary 3; 26 in primary 4; 19 are in primary 5; while the other 16 are in secondary section.

Meanwhile, Niger State chapter of Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has, on behalf of the organised labour (NLC/TUC) in Niger State, expressed profound sorrow and outrage over the abduction of pupils and teaching staff.

A statement by chairman of the association in the state, Mr. Idrees Abdulkareem Lafene, described the development as a barbaric act, adding that attacks on educational institutions constituted grave violation of human rights.

“The action is barbaric and an assault on the future of our nation and the perpetrators must, therefore, be identified and brought to justice without delay.

“All security agencies, including the Nigeria Police, the Department of State Services, the military and local vigilante groups, should intensify coordinated rescue operations and spare no effort in securing the release of those abducted.

“The state and federal governments should also provide the necessary resources, intelligence and logistical support to the security forces to ensure that those responsible are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

“Community and religious leaders should amplify the message of peace, assist in gathering information and offer moral support to the affected families and every citizen of Niger State and Nigeria should remain united, refrain from panic and cooperate fully with the authorities in any way possible.

“Education is the cornerstone of our development and any attack on our children is an attack on the future of Niger State and Nigeria. We stand together with Governor Bago and all security agencies to restore peace and bring our children home,” the NLC declared.

Kwara church attack was a sudden, terrifying act, survivor recounts ordeal

Also, a member of Christ Apostolic Church, CAC, Eruku, Kwara State, has recounted his ordeal in the kidnappers’ den.

Bandits had during the evening on November 18, attacked the church last week, killed two persons and abducted 38 worshippers, all of whom regained their freedom on Sunday.

In an interview with TVC, the victim, who wished to remain anonymous, said the attackers struck shortly after the programme commenced and fired shots around the church. He said: “It was a sudden act, a terrifying act because that evening, after 30 minutes of the programme, we just heard gunshots. “Even to my own perspective, I didn’t know it was gunshots. I thought it was just sparking of some wire.”

He said the assailants surrounded the entire church building during the assault, adding that “by the time we got up, they surrounded the whole church. Even some people there began to narrate that they were seeing drops of blood everywhere.’’

The survivor said the captives were taken into a forested zone controlled by the terrorists. “It was unimaginable because when we got there, we didn’t know that it was a dominated area,” he added. He recounted that the abductors boasted about their stronghold in the region, saying

“They made us know that there is no one who can slip away without being caught. And with what we saw, nobody can escape,” he said.

He said the group appeared familiar with all routes linking forests across Kwara and neighbouring states. “From that place, they have dominated. They knew all the routes surrounding all those bushes within Kwara and other cities. They knew it.’’

School abductions threaten northern Nigeria’s children’s future, Amnesty warns

Meanwhile, Amnesty International Nigeria has warned that the wave of mass kidnappings in schools could severely derail educational progress across northern Nigeria.

Country Director of the group, Isa Sanusi, said the psychological impact of abductions, and even the fear of such attacks, would discourage countless children from attending school.

Appearing on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily yesterday, Sanusi noted that rising insecurity was pushing parents to rethink the safety of sending their children to school as incidents of school kidnappings continued to escalate.

He said: “The trauma that comes with being abducted, or with the fear of being abducted, is going to prevent thousands of children from getting an education completely.’’

He added that families in rural communities already struggled to keep their children in school due to economic pressures, stressing that the current security challenges would worsen the situation.

“We also have to consider the fact that in many rural areas, children play key roles in the household, so many parents already make significant sacrifices to allow their children to go to school.

“Now, with these failures, you are going to see a situation where education suffers even more setbacks, especially in northern Nigeria. People will be scared of going to school, and parents will be more skeptical about allowing their children to attend,’’ Sanusi noted.

He cautioned that the unfolding situation could rob an entire generation of the right to education, adding that “when added to the more than 12 million children already out of school, the future looks grim and dangerous.” (Vanguard)