Kebbi school attack: Northern women makes strong demands amidst growing tension

Keep up with the latest news and be part of our weekly giveaways and airtime sharing; follow our WhatsApp channel for more updates. Click to Follow

Voices for Inclusion and Equity for Women (VIEW), a group of Northern women, has denounced the kidnapping of twenty-five schoolgirls from Government Girls’ Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State’s Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area.

Asmau Joda, Maryam Uwais, Mairo Mandara, Aisha Oyebode, Fatima Akilu, Kadaria Ahmed, Larai Ocheja Amusan, and Ier Jonathan-Ichaver signed a statement on Wednesday that called the attack a leadership failure and another blow to the nation’s conscience.

Early on Monday morning, gunmen raided the school, killing Hassan Yakubu Makuku, the vice principal, and kidnapping twenty-five kids.

VIEW noted that despite previous disasters in Chibok, Dapchi, and Jangebe, schools throughout northern Nigeria are still vulnerable to attacks, highlighting the government’s ongoing incapacity to secure schools.

“More than a decade after repeated mass abductions, Northern Nigeria is still one of the most dangerous places in the world for a girl seeking an education,” the group said.

Many of the signatories have worked with communities impacted by insecurity and were involved in the Bring Back Our Girls initiative.

Recurrent kidnappings raise concerns about the state’s commitment to protecting girls who already face social and economic disadvantages, the organization cautioned. It said that the most recent attack is more evidence of the Safe Schools Initiative’s shortcomings.

VIEW urged officials to avoid the sluggish reactions that have followed past mass kidnappings and called for an intelligence-driven rescue operation and daily public briefings on efforts to free the hostages.

Additionally, it demanded that the President, First Lady, Kebbi State Government, Northern Governors’ Forum, Northern Senators’ Forum, Arewa factions in the National Assembly, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and security agencies take clear action.

“This is not a moment for silence or excuses. The abduction of the Maga girls must be treated as a national emergency,” the statement added.

The group called for Nigerian women to band together and speak up, stating that northern women are fed up with receiving condolences and mourning without doing any real action.

“The girls of Maga must be located, rescued and reunited with their families without delay. Their return is a test of leadership and humanity,” VIEW said.

Please don’t forget to “Allow the notification” so you will be the first to get our gist when we publish it. 
Drop your comment in the section below, and don’t forget to share the post.