Zamfara Kidnapping: Atiku Raises His Voice
By PHC Telegraph
The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has raised his voice against the recent kidnap of students in Zamfara State, saying it is “one incident too many. ”
The former Vice President who is challenging the victory of the APC in court took to X to express his opinion on the latest incident which occurred Friday.
His reaction is coming directly on the heels of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to security agencies to secure the release of the remaining captives.
Gunmen had raided a university in Zamfara and carted away scores of students as the nation’s security agencies intensify efforts to protect children of school age.
According to The Guardian, about 24 students were kidnapped after the bandits invaded the Sabon-Gida community of the Bungudu Local Government Area in the state.
Sabon-Gida village, the newspaper reported, is a community opposite the main campus of a Federal University that is about 20 kilometers from the state capital, Gusau.
Most of those taken hostage, some sources say, were female students.
Atiku said, “The news of the invasion of the Federal University of Gusau and the abduction of a number of students by bandits who were also said to have invaded the Sabon-Gida community in the Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State is very unfortunate.
“It is equally regrettable that despite the huge investment in national defense, Nigerians have continued to live in a state of insecurity as terrorists, militants, and bandits have continued to ride roughshod over our communities.
“The recent kidnap is one incident too many. While I sympathize with the victims of this incident, I commend the security agencies for being able to rescue some of them.
“I also charge the security agencies to step up efforts to rescue those still in captivity and put an end to these acts of barbarism.”
He stressed that these acts of “banditry and brigandage” has continued to put “our compatriots in a state of perpetual fear and anguish.”
Meanwhile, Atiku’s personal spokesman John Ibe has urged the President to resign from office, following controvery surrounding his academic certificate from the Chicago State University.
Ibe who said that President Tinubu has turned the nation into laughing stock across the world noted that his continuous occupation of the Villa has become a source of national embarrassment.
Netizens on various social media platforms have been having a field day debating the certicate issue.
While some say there is no substance in the quest by the Atiku group to impeach the President’s academic standing, others say insist that the interest shown by Tinubu’s lawyers in a cour5 matter in the US filed by Atiku suggests the President has something to hide.
Reacting over the ongoing debate on X, a former federal lawmaker, Chief Ogbonna Nwuke remarked, “Speculation! That’s what we are dealing with!! Judgment won’t be delivered in the court of public opinion.
“The certificate saga will be resolved. Two different justice systems, one here and the other abroad, are dealing with it. We will get to know the beginning from the end.”