A dejected Usman Hassan Kankara, the father of one of the abducted schoolboys of the Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, northwest Nigeria spoke with News Central on Wednesday.
Speaking on Village Square Africa, Hassan said his family has been very sad since the abduction of the boys. He expressed displeasure at the lack of communication and information from the Nigerian government.
He disclosed that their communities have always been terrorised by kidnappers and not less than 13 people were killed in a neighbouring community before the attacked on the secondary school in Ankara.
Hassan whose son is a 13-year old JSS 2 student of the school said nobody has tried to reach his family and when they approached the school, the response was “government is making efforts”.
He also confirmed that 520 boys, not 333 as the government has revealed, were kidnapped from the school.
When quizzed about the presence of security in the area, he said there is a fully functional Police Station, and military presence in the area, even before the attack.
Experts Call For Better Protection of Vulnerable Locals
A Security Consultant, Rtd. Commodore Abimbola Ayuba told News Central that the Nigerian Constitution should be reviewed to allow citizens protect themselves before the arrival of security agencies. He called for better community policing and protection of communities.
Ayuba also criticised the absence of the Veterans section of the military which would have helped greatly in providing tactics to tackle difficult situations as this. He said former military men are not being re-recruited despite the need for their experience and intelligence.
Temitope Olodo, a Preventive Security Expert said Nigeria’s vulnerable population lack protection. He recommended the creation of security posts in markets, to protect the dwellers who often have nowhere to run. He said Nigeria’s political elites protect themselves but leave locals in harm’s way.
Olodo described the abduction of the Kankara schoolboys as a slap on the Nigerian government’s face, considering that such an incident happened in Chibok in 2014.
The School Safety Initiative of the Goodluck Jonathan government should be brought back and improved to ensure adequate protection of students, he said.
The security expert said there are at least 10,000 Nigerians working in security agencies abroad and they can be called on to provide their experience and knowledge to improve Nigeria’s security.