BBOG group on Katsina attack: Using children as pawns in this game of failed leadership must stop now

The #BringBackOurGirls movement has condemned the delay in the rescue of the students abducted from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina state.

Aminu Masari, governor of Katsina, had confirmed 333 students missing after bandits invaded the school on December 11.

Seventeen of them were found on Monday, while Boko Haram has claimed credit for the abduction.

The group, in a statement issued on Tuesday, cited the kidnap of students from Chibok in 2014 and the 2018 incident in Dapchi, and urged government to focus more on ensuring the release of the Katsina students, instead of playing politics with insecurity.

“Has President Buhari not learned anything about securing our children in the theater of war? His indifference to the plight of citizens is the trademark of the failed leadership of his administration,” the statement reads.

“The federal government and the military have in the past, claimed victories against Boko Haram. In December of 2015, the government claimed to have technically defeated the insurgency group. In 2016 he was said to have been fatally wounded, in 2017 and 2018 the government declared him dead, and in 2019 President Buhari said Boko Haram has ‘substantially’ been defeated. In all of these timelines, the insurgents have unleashed untold mayhem on Nigeria and Nigerians. The recent audio recording that claimed responsibility for the kidnapping in Katsina state is a clear indication that the group is alive and well and are now moving West given the failure of government to stop their reign of terror in the Northeast.

“We are dismayed by the back-and-forth between the state and the federal government over the actual number of schoolboys abducted. We do not want to see another Chibok where days and weeks passed while the inaction and delays of the Goodluck Jonathan government led to a prolonged abduction that is yet to be resolved today.

“Every moment is critical and there is no time to waste. Seemingly, the federal government under the leadership of President Buhari has learned nothing and committed to learning nothing that will prevent a repeat or mitigate the proper handling of any abduction. Utterly distasteful is the fact that the President is on the ground in Katsina state and has not deemed the meeting of the disconsolate parents the right course of action. This speaks of his cynicism and cold indifference; it is urgent that our country change the narrative of catastrophes met by indifferent presidents.

“Using our children as pawns in this game of failed leadership must stop now. The first 48 hours are crucial in the rescue of abductees. Three days after the abduction of the #KankaraBoys, the window of successful and timely rescue becomes increasingly difficult. The lack of urgency by both state and the federal government is disturbing; how much longer do parents have to grieve over the unknown whereabouts of the children they sent to school?”

The group also listed six demands, which included protection for the students’ parents, immediate sack of the service chiefs and a review of the country’s security architecture.

“We ask the federal government to seek support from regional and international stakeholders, especially the United States, to deploy the same security prowess used in the rescue of one American citizen, so we can win this war against terrorism and banditry with their support. As a movement, we will continue to monitor events and respond accordingly,” the group added.