[size=14pt]Children kidnap: Police deploy anti-terrorist squad to Aba[/size]
News Sep 29, 2010 *Jonathan orders IG to arrest hoodlums

By Kingsley Omonobi, Victor Ahiuma-Young, Chioma Obinna & Daniel Idonor

ABUJA—PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday, joined other Nigerians in condemning the kidnap of 15 school children in Aba, Abia State, by hoodlums who are demanding the sum of N20million as ransom.

The President who described it as “utterly callous and cruel,”directed the Inspector-General of Police, IGP, and heads of other security agencies to arrest the perpetrators.

Vanguard learnt that the Inspector General of Police, Mr. Hafiz Ringim, in reaction to the directive, has ordered a massive deployment of policemen in Abia and other high risk states in the South East to check incidence of kidnapping as well as locate whereabouts of the children and rescue them.

A statement by Presidential spokesman, Mr Ima Niboro, said: “President Jonathan has ordered the Inspector-General of Police and heads of other security agencies to take all necessary steps to rescue the abducted children and return them safely to their parents.

“The President urges the parents and relatives of the children to remain calm and assures them that government will do everything possible to apprehend the kidnappers and bring closure to these ugly incidents as soon as possible.”

National Chairman of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, in a statement by his media aide, Ike Abonyi, described the kidnap as callous and unacceptable.

Nwodo said the action of the hijackers of the nursery and primary school children was wicked, adding that “relevant security agencies to fish them out and save the children, their families and the nation the trauma.”

He said the issue of kidnapping in the South East, especially Abia, has become a huge embarrassment to the nation and should be condemned by all reasonablepersons.

[size=14pt]The Inspector General of Police, Ringim, however, told Vanguard in Abuja, yesterday: “We have seen the report that a bus containing school children was hijacked and the children were kidnapped on Monday. But if you go to Aba, you will see a recent development. The massive deployment of Policemen which we have done, the Anti_terrorist squad, inclusive.

“In fact, the anti_terrorist squad was never deployed for operational duties as such but because of the circumstances, we have deployed them there. This issue of kidnapping has been on for a long time. There is nothing anybody can do to turn the situation around within one or two or three days.[/size]

“We are doing the best we can. With the training and leadership capabilities that we have, we will make sure that this situation is remedied. The assurance I can give you and the nation is that we have enough capable and competent manpower to do the job and we are deploying them in the shortest possible time and very soon, the situation will be turned around.”

UNICEF condemns

The United Nations Education Fund, UNICEF, also condemned the kidnap of the school children describing it as craven
A statement by the UNICEF and signed by its Representative in Nigeria, Dr. Suomi Sakai noted that under no circumstances should children be the target of violence in any country.

Sakai said: “Under no circumstances should children be the target of violence and kidnapping children for financial gain is simply heinous. The Children’s Fund, which advocates everywhere for the inviolability of schools, hopes the law enforcement agencies will be able to find and bring the children to safety quickly.

“In all its work, UNICEF stresses the need for families, communities and civil society to work in partnership to protect the rights and well being of children.

Communities in which children are safe and well, are communities in which everyone is safe”.

It could be recalled that the 15 children were said to be kidnaped Monday by gunmen while they were being conveyed to school. According to reports, the pupils were all pupils of Abayi International School in Aba.

South East Senators
In their reaction senators from the South-East, led by the Deputy Senate President, Senator Ike Ekweremadu lamented that kidnapping, instead of abating has taken a new dimension in the East.

Senator Ekweremadu called on government to intensify its efforts in tackling the menace of kidnapping stressing that the society is heading towards lawlessness if no pragmatic step is taken to tackle kidnapping.

Network on Police Reform

Meanwhile, Network on Police Reform in Nigeria, NOPRIN, has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on Abia State, saying Monday’s kidnap of about 15 school was a confirmation of the total breakdown of law and order in the state.

NOPRIN in a statement by its Programme Coordinator, Mr. Okechukwu Nwanguma,said: “NOPRIN is alarmed at the dimension that kidnapping and other violent crimes have taken in Abia State. Clearly, the police and other security forces have, not just lost control, but have themselves become targets of unrelenting attacks by the hoodlums they are expected to checkmate.

“This is illustrated by daily reports about police officers being gunned down by hoodlums in Aba. For example, on or about September 18, 2010 two policemen were reported to have been shot dead by unknown gunmen at Umuafor Ukwu in Obingwa local government area, the same area where four journalists and their driver were kidnapped on July 11, 2010.

http://www.vanguardngr.com/2010/09/children-kidnap-police-deploy-anti-terrorist-squad-to-aba/

^^^About time!!

All these Small-minded Political-office seeking thugs and their hired punks should keep their hands of our children.!!

Raise your campaign money some other way! Leave Nigerian kids alone!!

May Shango punish all of them!!

Atoo, they should do something by friday! Its now a national disgrace

On a lighter note. . .
I feel some pity for Aba people with being the first civilians to sight the brand new Anti-Terrorist Squad!
Those guys have to be some fcking antisocial, trigger happy types that last smiled many years ago and eat metal. I hope they succeed in weeding out the kidnappers though.

The should deploy bakassi boys instead!

Beaf:

On a lighter note. . .
I feel some pity for Aba people with being the first civilians to sight the brand new Anti-Terrorist Squad!
Those guys have to be some fcking antisocial, trigger happy types that last smiled many years ago and eat metal. I hope they succeed in weeding out the kidnappers though.

They better be!

I pity the innocent ones in Aba too, maybe they will now do a better job of informing on these Lunatics.

Yeye people should be kidnapping those silly, small-minded, leader-goats ruining our  Nation, Instead they are terrorizing kids!!

if becomerich can sit at his computer and pull up satellite maps of every part of nigeria, why is tracking these kids such a big deal?

are the kidnappers not leaving a carbon footprint or something?

tpiah:

if becomerich can sit at his computer and pull up satellite maps of every part of nigeria, why is tracking these kids such a big deal?

are the kidnappers not leaving a carbon footprint or something?

Beaf:

On a lighter note. . .
I feel some pity for Aba people with being the first civilians to sight the brand new Anti-Terrorist Squad!
Those guys have to be some fcking antisocial, trigger happy types that last smiled many years ago and eat metal. I hope they succeed in weeding out the kidnappers though.

LOL Exactly the type of people needed in Aba

It might interest y'all to know that this might end up on the pages of newspapers, as usual. We won't see any police on the road. To confirm this, I could shelve my travel till weekend to bring you guys up to speed.

Slap one u r reali doing a good job but u dnt need to put yourself in harms way. Beta travel. I hope your oldman is safe too. ABA has to be fixed , this is my solemn prayer for u all. @ post we are waiting to seet the effect this anti terror unit will have on the situation.

I seriously hope that this is contained.

I swear if this reaches my state eh. . .

Ileke-IdI:

I seriously hope that this is contained.

I swear if this reaches my state eh. . .

Oya finish that statement . Wetin you go do?

Yours is a case of 'Internet warrior feeling funky'. shiorrrrrrrrrrrrr

chic2pimp:

Oya finish that statement . Wetin you go do?

Yours is a case of 'Internet warrior feeling funky'. shiorrrrrrrrrrrrr

LMSAO!!!! You dey crase sha

But make them no try am o. I dnt joke with my land I'll personally come to naija to teach those hooligans a lesson

Ileke-IdI:

I seriously hope that this is contained.

I swear if this reaches my state eh. . .

How do you think I feel?

This is my state!

Ileke-IdI:

LMSAO!!!! You dey crase sha

But make them no try am o. I dnt joke with my land I'll personally come to naija to teach those hooligans a lesson

E ma gba mi, nah who dash you land ehn?

Will you gerraway from hia jor, nonsense and Ingredient

Beaf:

On a lighter note. . .
I feel some pity for Aba people with being the first civilians to sight the brand new Anti-Terrorist Squad!
Those guys have to be some fcking antisocial, trigger happy types that last smiled many years ago and eat metal. I hope they succeed in weeding out the kidnappers though.

Lol@anti-terrorist shit.If they are the red cap wearing policemen,then they have nothing to offer.About 10 of them were ambushed and shot at night 2 weeks ago but was not reported in the news.I luckily heard it on a radio program which featured their state police commissioner.What is needed is full military might and instant removal of the governor.

[size=20pt]If they want us to believe they are serious, state governments should be solely responsible for payment of all ransoms henceforth[/size]

Ileke-IdI:

LMSAO!!!! You dey crase sha

But make them no try am o. I dnt joke with my land I'll personally come to naija to teach those hooligans a lesson

Na fine fine babes those kidnappers de find o!
If they reach Ekiti, just quietly change your state to Oyo. Nutin spoil!

sounds like crack team has been rebranded to anti terrorist squad

gej , stop pussyfooting around and declare a state of emergency

nothing good has ever come out of the police foce

na to dey shoot fo n20 them sabi

Anti-Terrorist squad for kidnapped children? This is not a terrorist issue, where are the police? We always get things wrong in that country.

~Bluetooth:

You make it sound as if Nigeria police are up to the task.Abeg,I've never seen a policeman with all these qualities before,they are only serious if you don't part with #20 bribe.abeg nigeria police are the same even if you call them SWAT,KGB,CIA,FBI,PHD,MSC,BSC.they would end up setting a toll-gate and collect #20 from member of the public.Soldiers is the best answer,tell jonathan

Dude, please read what I wrote again, I am not making them sound like anything.
I don't know the unit myself, so I can't vouch. But its going to be the first time this unit is seen in public, GEJ announced formation and their training some time ago.

monkeyleg:

Anti-Terrorist squad for kidnapped children? This is not a terrorist issue, where are the police? We always get things wrong in that country.

Do you seriously mean that?
What to you is a terrorist issue, if kidnapping isn't (especially kids)?

~Bluetooth:

Are we importing police for this unit ? Cuz the Nigeria police I know cannot tackle the problem in Aba as at now.what is required is a collection of intelligence network and a massive firepower which only be delivered by the military.this police thing is a big joke which symbolized that jonathan is not ready to tackle the problem

When you say, "massive firepower," do you mean tanks and stuff like guided missiles and drones? Those kidnappers might be sponsored, but they are not an army of any sort. More than all of the above, the army is as guilty of taking bribes as the police (even the vaunted JTF); so where does that live us? Sending in the army is far from a panacea, as we witnessed repeatedly in Jos where things were much worse than Aba has ever been.

If you don't know the new police unit, the best thing to do is watch and see if they make a difference. Its always best to try new things, rather than cling to the failed methods of the past. There is no need for the army in Aba, except to act as backup to the police. We have to stop this nonesense of thinking the army is almost a devine force that can cure all ills. They can't.

who exactly is the anti terror squad
is not the same the police guys? or did they recruit new people
dunot know much about them, anyway

these kidnappers have held a whole city to ransom

they are sending out a clear message we are the law here - abandon hope all ye who enter here

they are armed, organized, ruthless and supremely confident that no one can take them on

abia is in anarchy

even at the best of times, police are only good for harassing civilians

we all heard about the 50+

roadblocks they setup to 'tackle' kidnapping in the past.

add that to the fact that they are in league with these bastards

GEJ send in the army already

this is not the time for political grandstanding

and while you're at it set up a panel to investigate the allegations against theodore orji

~Bluetooth:

What I mean by massive fire is the ability to meet up with the category of arms used by the kidnappers and armed robbers.How do you expect a hungry and disgruntled policeman with his ak 47 to stand a kidnapper with rock launcher.It's evident that kidnapping reduced in Edo state when the military were drafted to collaborate the police until problem broke out between them.police are known to compromise operations and I'm still thinking that a state of emergency is the way out of this jargon.

Now you're talking! I believe some really deft action needs to be taken, but I'm not 100% for state of emergency, especially with all the foreign Presidents trooping in tomorrow for Independence celeberations. I don't know what the new anti-terrorist unit is capable of, but it can be taking for granted that they will be several cuts above regular korofo's and mopol's.

Don't forget, there are stories of when mopol first came out. They used to make naybody that offered egunje physically eat the money, so lets pray thats how the new unit will turn out. And for the fact that they are anti-terrorist, I assume they must be quasi-military and seriously armed. Lets wait for slap1 to give us direct info on how these guys roll; we should be able to make our minds up in a couple of days.