Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos

There was confu­sion on Tuesday as Islamist militant group, Boko Haram, claimed responsibility for the abduction of students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, after bandits were said to have started negotiation with Katsina government and a parent of one of the kidnapped schoolboys. The government had pre­viously blamed “bandits” for the attack.

Katsina State governor, Bello Masari, on Monday told President Muhammadu Buhari that the abductors of GSSS Kankara students had made contact with the government and that efforts were on to secure their re­lease.
The governor said this while briefing President Buhari, who is in the state on a week-long visit. He said: “The kidnappers have made contact and discussions are already on per­taining to safety and return to their homes.”

Abdul Labaran, spokes­man of the Katsina gov­ernment, also disclosed in a chat with RadioNow FM that gunmen who attacked GSSS, Kankara schoolboys had contacted one of the parents of the abducted students. Labaran said the gun­men asked the parents to start making preparations for ransom to facilitate the release of the students.

Labaran also reportedly said the gunmen also asked the parents to warn securi­ty operatives to stop the sur­veillance on their hideouts to guarantee the safety of the students.

However, on Tuesday, Boko Haram said it was be­hind last week’s kidnapping of hundreds of schoolboys in Katsina State. In an audio message about the abductions, its leader Abubakar Shekau said “what happened in Kat­sina was our responsibility” and that his group opposed Western education.
Observers on Tuesday asked who the government was already negotiating with after Boko Haram laid claim to the abductions.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives on Tuesday said the lack of synergy among security agencies is chiefly responsible for the abduction of over 600 students of Government Science Secondary School, Kankara last Friday.'

Abdulrazak Namdas, Chairman, House Commit­tee on Army, disclosed this while featuring as a guest on Channels Television programme ‘Politics Today’.

The lawmaker, who de­cried the lack of sharing of intelligence among security apparatuses said it was ab­surd how bandits will come to a school and abduct over 600 students and went away without any security agents in sight.

He said, “I think there is something I want people to realise. We have said it times without number that no security force alone can solve this issue of banditry or insurgency. The Army, Air Force or Police cannot do it alone. All the security agencies must work togeth­er. Once there is no synergy in the working relationship of the security agencies, I’m afraid we will never get the needed results.

“We have heard instanc­es where all the security agencies have said they are working together and collaborating but I feel that what happened in Katsina is as a result of failure of synergy. I expect that the in­telligence gathering mech­anism should be up to date to the extent that people should be able to know that bandits will invade Katsina. With that knowledge, other security agencies will be at alert and work together to contain the situation.

“Till today, you can’t explain how bandits came and kidnapped over 600 students. Even if they are loaves of bread you are putting in a car, somebody should be able to stop you and retrieve some of these loaves of bread. But for peo­ple to successfully abduct these boys and get away only for us to follow them, I think it is the issue of syn­ergy”.

The lawmaker said if something urgently is not done, Boko Haram is grad­ually achieving its aim of eradicating both Western education and Islamic edu­cation as its focus is to cre­ate fears into parents from sending their children to schools.

He also added that it was surprising that Boko Haram can still freely abduct large number of students in 2020 same way they did six years ago in Chibok, Borno State.

“I am worried that until we get further explanation, we are not getting it right. With what Boko Haram has just said, it is clear that we have to look back because they are almost achieving their aim of disrupting Western education and even Islamic education.

“This is because by the time, these number of stu­dents are released, they will be afraid and their par­ents will not send them to schools again. This is my fear at the moment”.

The lawmaker, who also canvassed for adequate funding for the military, said the Army got less funding in the 2021 budget compared to what it got in 2020.

“I have conducted over­sight functions in the Army. I have moved round and we have seen that they have done their part. During the 2020 budget, the capital of the Army was about N34 billion. In 2021, it has come down to N27 billion. If we pass this figure the way it is, it means N27 billion is required to purchase arms and ammunitions, vehicles, renovation of barracks.

“You can see the level with which criminality is going. We will need to give them the better machinery they need to fight the insur­gents. The Army as profes­sional as they are must be able to work with other se­curity agencies. Intelligence gathering is key and we are in the era of technology. If we cannot be able to gather intelligence and synergise, then we are going the wrong way”.

On what the House of Reps is doing to ensure the safe release of the students, he said, “Immediately, we got the news that these students were kidnapped, we spoke with the Army authorities and they told us they are in consultation with the command in Kat­sina and they are working with other security agencies to ensure that they forestall these. As I speak to you, they are already in the bush in Katsina".
“This is too bad. We ex­pect our security agencies to do more. Our children should come back so that we can have confidence in the system. Katsina State gov­ernment has already closed down schools which means there will be no schools now and the situation will get worse”.

https://www.independent.ng/confusion-as-bandits-b-haram-claim-schoolboys-abductions/

They should push more harder for the sack of those service chiefs if they are serious.

When the Commander in Chief of armed forces is not in the right state of mind

The corruption in the military is way too much..... Believe me, if the military want to eliminate the sect, it wouldn't take them anything. But because alot of big wigs are cashing out, they inturn play around with people's lives...

They are all madt...

How long will the blame game continue?





Well, me too I blame the angel that also abducted me to Nigeria.


No need to wait for Buhari or the Military, I must Japa to get my own freedom.

bokoharam right now

They should all better get their acts together now and bring this boys home intact.

This is not the time for blame game at all.
Make una no let good and sane Nigerians change am for una o.

No time for blame games here. The service chiefs are incompetent and lack ideas to tackle the current security challenges the country is facing. Their continued stay in office is nothing other than pure politics which shouldn't be allowed at the expense of Nigerian lives and property.

Do the needful and stop with these sensational talks

However, on Tuesday, Boko Haram said it was be­hind last week’s kidnapping of hundreds of schoolboys in Katsina State. In an audio message about the abductions, its leader Abubakar Shekau said “what happened in Kat­sina was our responsibility” and that his group opposed Western education.

Just imagine the effontry, may it never be well with all the politicians that brought Boko Haram into my country.
And all the ones sponsoring them now, they along with all their supporters will all die and rot in hell in weeks to come. If they make it to 2021, they will all never live beyond that for all the killings, pains and wickedness they brought to this nation.... no matter the party they are. Bitterness and evil will be their lot in life.

yanabasee:
The corruption in the military is way too much..... Believe me, if the military want to eliminate the sect, it wouldn't take them anything. But because alot of big wigs are cashing out, they inturn play around with people's lives...

Is buhari that has been playing with people's life, Everytime he's shock, no expression of sympathy, he doesn't wants to sack his service chiefs even though they are all failures, I don't blame though, I blame both the Senate and reps, for not impeaching long ago

and the blame game continue mumu people on the helm of affairs

Why not blame Buhari for his incompetence? Why the beating about the bush, Rubber stamp Femi and co

Synergy ko synergy ni. Fools in power.

Yawn

Sunnycliff:
Why not blame Buhari for his incompetence? Why the beating about the bush, Rubber stamp Femi and co

They will never

Noted

nairavsdollars:
Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos


https://www.independent.ng/confusion-as-bandits-b-haram-claim-schoolboys-abductions/

How is lack of synergy the problem - the Nation's last line of defense lacks synergy (I trust some nlers to support this) We are talking about the Nigerian Military that held and won 3 wars simultaneously in the West African region during ECOMOG. There is a racket going on with terrorism and kidnapping and profit is to be made, this is not a new thing, the Nigerian Military have just found their own way to benefit from the crisis shikena

ILoveDemMANNA:
They should all better get their acts together now and bring this boys home intact.

This is not the time for blame game at all.
Make una no let good and sane Nigerians change am for una o.

Why not say it as it is, that Buhari is a failure and should resign because he is fr from reality. Even in his own home state, in his very presence, 600 boys were kidnapped. How does it sound to you about the incompetence of PMB

Is there any synergy between Buhari himself and all the failure appointees in his government, This buhari presidency is a big lesson to Nigerians not to elect any old man into government in 2023,they are old and do not have anything to offer this country again, they only just come to mark register

nairavsdollars:
Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos


https://www.independent.ng/confusion-as-bandits-b-haram-claim-schoolboys-abductions/

Reps should blame themselves first for not pushing harder until all service chiefs were sacked before now.
Most of them benefits from these insurgencies.
Deadly politics!!!

reps blame army. Army blame government. Government blem PDP. senate blame PDP. Amy blame residence. Residence blame buhari. Buhari blame economy . The blame game is over

Buhari blame US for not selling him weapons

farouk2much:
reps blame army. Army blame government. Government blem PDP. senate blame PDP. Amy blame residence. Residence blame buhari. Buhari blame economy . The blame game is over

nairavsdollars:
Temidayo Akinsuyi, Lagos


https://www.independent.ng/confusion-as-bandits-b-haram-claim-schoolboys-abductions/

And the blaming game begins... as usual nothing tangible will be done.