Borno youths, students demand rescue of abducted pupils

A coalition of youths and students on Sunday staged a protest in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, against insecurity and other forms of criminality in the North-East and across Nigeria.

The protesters, carrying placards with various inscriptions, called on the Federal Government to deploy all available resources to rescue the schoolchildren abducted in Mussa and Lassa communities in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

Some of the placards read: “Say No to Terrorism and Yes to Peace,” “Say No to Collaborating with Terrorists,” “Together We Stand Against Terrorism and Criminality,” “Terror Divides, Unity Prevails,” and “We Are Stronger Together.”

Addressing the crowd at the rally held at the Post Office in Maiduguri, the convener of the protest, Suleiman Muhammed, called on Nigerians to unite against terrorism and all forms of criminality.

Muhammed commended the Federal Government and security forces for rescuing the abducted students and teachers in Oriire, Oyo State, and urged the government to demonstrate the same commitment in securing the release of other abducted students still in captivity.

“We believe that the government will replicate those achievements in Borno State. We know the government will not take sides in solving the problems of a particular region,” he said.

He also urged the government to engage youths through employment opportunities, vocational training and business support to discourage them from engaging in criminal activities.

The group further maintained that the payment of ransom should be discouraged, warning that it only encourages more kidnappings.

“We should know that payment of ransom to the assailants will only make the situation worse in the country,” he said.

One of the protesters, Muhammed Mustapha, expressed concern over what he described as the Federal Government’s greater attention to the abducted Oyo schoolchildren.

“These children were abducted on the same day, but nobody is talking about the schoolchildren abducted in Mussa and the recent Lassa school abduction.

“We are calling on the Federal Government to at least give an explanation on why our children are being neglected here,” he said.

He appealed to residents of Borno State to unite against terrorism and support security agencies in ending the Boko Haram insurgency.

“We should all support the security agencies, while the government should provide them with the necessary equipment to fight the menace,” he said.

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