Bandits kidnap 18 LG workers in Zaria

The Coalition of Northern Groups, CNG, Kaduna State Students Wing has reacted to Monday’s abduction of 18 Zaria Local Government staff, saying most of them are parents of their fellow students in higher institutions.

A statement signed by the Kaduna State Coordinator, Jamilu Musa, warned that students would embark on a mass action to shut down Zaria if visible action is not taken to secure the release of the captives in seven days.

The CNG said: “It is unfortunate that so far, our governments, both federal and state have glaringly failed in the vital area of providing public safety and security of lives and properties of Nigerians.

“The audacity with which these criminals carry out their atrocities with ease on what they called huge vacuum in the political will and capacity of the authorities to challenge them.

“The CNG Students Wing notes with utter perplexity and dismay the emerging trend of abandoning innocent citizens, particularly students and their parents to the mercy of the kidnappers without any sense of emergency from the authorities.

“We particularly note that among the kidnapped women of Zaria Local Government Area are several mothers of many of our fellow students in various institutions.

“While we feel the pain of the families, friends, and relations of the kidnapped members of staff, we demand immediate action from the relevant authorities for their release, alive and safe and for government to demonstrate more commitment to the protection of citizens’ lives and properties.

“We wish to categorically state that enough is enough and students of Northern Nigeria are no longer going to be disposed to sitting idly while the sanctity of the lives of their fellow students and their parents are infringed with impunity.

“We finally place the authorities on notice that failure to make visible and concrete action towards the safe rescue of all the parents and students involved in this latest incident and all others in captivity within the next one week would attract a mass action to shut down Zaria and compel positive action.”