Kidnapping of Professor, 9 Students: House of Reps Want Immediate Establishment of Mobile Police Unit, Army Battalion at ABU Border

BY OBUTE JAMES

The House of Representatives has called for immediate establishment of a Mobile Police Unit and Battalion of Nigerian Army at the Southern Border of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria due to recent kidnapping of a professor and 9 students of the institution.

The House resolution was sequel to the motion of Hon. Garba Muhammad Datti, Chairman House Committee on Port and Harbour and representative of Sabon Gari Federal Constituency of Kaduna State.

The House of Representatives also resolved that the Federal Government should urgently and without further delay erect a secure wall round the campuses of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria as has been done for the University of Maiduguri, Borno State and the Gwagwalada campuses of the University of Abuja in order to forestall incursions from the bandits and other miscreants.

“The Inspector General of Police to urgently and without further delay, establish units of its mobile police troops at the institution particularly at the Phase 2 segment of its Samaru campus to ensure security of lives and property at all times;

‘The Chief of Army Staff to urgently and without further delay, establish a battalion of the Nigerian Army at the southern border of the University to help forestall incursions into the campus from that end,” the House of Representatives resolved.

Presenting his motion under Matter of Urgent National Importance in the green chamber on Wednesday, Datti said if the trend of attacking University campuses is not halted, chaos and anarchy will reign in the ivory towers where serenity is an inevitable precondition to achieving academic excellence.

The motion titled “Urgent Need to Address the Security Threats Posed by the Phenomenon of Banditry (Particularly Kidnapping and Abduction) to the Campuses of the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria and Other Tertiary Institutions Across the Nation was co-sponsored by Hon. Tajudeen Abbas, Hon. Shehu Balarabe, Hon. Muktar shehu ladan and Hon. Ibrahim Hamza.
Parts of the motion read below:

“Recalls that the state of insecurity in Nigeria has been a matter of grave concern to all well-meaning patriots for several years now;

“The state of insecurity in Kaduna State and North West in general, has degenerated to an alarming level that in spite of the concerted efforts of Government to put an end to it, armed banditry and kidnappings have continued unabated;

“The activities of armed bandits, have now extended their spate of kidnappings and abductions into our citadel of learning particularly the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria.

“Distressed that on the 17th day of November, 2020, nine (9) students of the university were kidnapped along Kaduna-Abuja Road while the bandits sent a ransom demand of N270M before they will be released.

“Further distressed that only on Monday 23rd November, 2020 at about 12.50 am, armed bandits invaded the house of Professor Bakari Girei and abducted him, together with his wife and daughter and, only after an exchange of fire with the Police Intelligence Response Team did the bandits release the wife and daughter while they escaped with the Professor; who is still in captivity.

“Notes that the bandits have been substantially aided in their wicked, despicable and nefarious activities by the absence of a wall or fence around the Samaru Campus of the University unlike the University of Maiduguri and the Gwagwalada campus of the University of Abuja;

“The bandits have also been substantially aided by the fact that it shares borders with Southern Katsina, particularly Sabuwa Local Government, where the activities of the bandits have escalated in geometric proportions as well as the Kuyello area of Birnin Gwari, another hotspot for such criminalities and that the forests in these border locations have become havens for these criminals.”

“Concerned that these border locations have made it easier for the bandits to penetrate the porous borders of the campus while making staff and students easy prey;

“Worried that the sad consequence of this state of affairs is that the University now stands the serious risk of being unable to guarantee a serene and conducive atmosphere that is a sine qua non for its purpose as an institution of higher learning;

Cognizant that the University is a community that harbour over sixty thousand (60,000) staff and students population with origins spread across the thirty-six (36) states of the Federation and the Federal Capital Territory;

Equally cognizant that no other tertiary institution in Nigeria is as representative of the diverse peoples and cultures of our nation as the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria;

Mindful, therefore, that this nefarious activity, has become a national emergency that has become worrisome to every Nigerian and that the overriding need to provide security to life and property cannot be overstated,” He said.

He said “Conscious that our basic, supreme law, the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) in its section 14(2)(b) proclaims “the security and welfare of the people” to” be the primary purpose of government” (emphasis added);

“Equally conscious that security is one of the cardinal policies of the current administration for which it has left no stone unturned towards neutralizing and degrading the terrorist scourge; in the North East.

“Alarmed that if this trend of attacking University campuses is not halted, chaos and anarchy will reign in our ivory towers where serenity is an inevitable precondition to achieving academic excellence.”

He said this matter must be treated with the seriousness it deserves, especially now that universities, whose activities have been severely crippled by the protracted ASSUU industrial actions and the COVID-19 pandemic, are preparing to fully resume academic studies and to avoid further protracted disruption of academic activities.

The House of Representatives also mandated its Committees on Tertiary Education and National Security and Intelligence to liaise with the Federal Ministry of Education, the Chief of Army Staff and the Inspector General of Police and other relevant agencies of Government to implement the resolutions and report to the House within three (3) weeks.