INSECURITY: Students’ Kidnappings, A New Lucrative Business To Bandits (1) -By Ibrahim Olaoti Faruq

October 2023 marks Nigeria’s Sixty-three Independence Anniversary. Just as with individuals, over years in the life of a nation calls for in-depth reflection on where she is as a nation compared to where she ought to be, what are the missing gaps, and what are the lessons from the past to enable the nation to face her social reality with courage and determination.

As John Locke said: ‘The primary duty of any government is the security of lives and properties of the citizens,” the primary objective of every government is to protect the lives and welfare of the people. Whereas, the case is of different taste in Nigeria. Despite over Sixty years of Nationhood, insecurity is still Nigeria’s biggest problem.

The cardinal pillar of every government is the security of lives and properties of the citizen and this we must ensure in its strictest sense. The number of victims of bandit attacks reported daily in the media projects the ruins, destruction, and traumatization of students studying in northern parts of Nigeria, most especially, in the northwest region of the country. This sad norm has been having a devastating effect on 85% of students who are schooling in Northwest Nigeria who either play truancy or drop out of schools and institutions.

Following the rise of insecurity in the country, many Nigerian students, especially those in Northwest Nigeria, have fallen victim to attacks and kidnapping.

According to the Global Terrorism Index (GTI) 2023 report, Nigeria has been ranked eighth on the list of the worst-hit countries with insecurity. The ranking, however, seems progressive after the government moved two places away from its sixth position in the 2022 ratings.

Following the rise of insecurity in the country, many Nigerian students, especially those in Northwest Nigeria, have fallen victim to attacks and kidnapping. Insecurity in Northern Nigeria implies that it increased the number of dropouts and out-of-school children in the geo-political zone. For some, it means a pause in their academic pursuits.

A study titled “I Am A Bandit: A Decade of Research in Zamfara Bandit’s Den” by Dr. Murtal A. Rufai, a historian and lecturer at UDUS, revealed that there are 120 gangs of bandits operating in six northern states.

“A large part of what they collect as ransoms and a substantial part of the animals they rustle are either sold to get money or exchanged for weapons. It will be hard for people to understand that bandits are sophisticated money launderers,” said the researcher, who had a one-on-one interaction with some of them earlier.

Insecurity in the North has gone beyond kidnapping passengers in transit or villages as some actions have been taken to curb the menace from the past administrations. The focus has been on the educational system as a way of improving their (bandits) income. Our learning areas are not safe anymore. Secondary Schools in the North and tertiary institutions with the main focus on temale Hall residences are not safe.

It all started from Secondary schools and gradually got its way to tertiary institutions. This is very pathetic. On the night of 14–15 April 2014, 276 female students aged 16 to 18 were kidnapped by Boko Haram from the Government Girls Secondary School in the town of Chibok in Borno State. On the evening of 11 December 2020, over 300 students were kidnapped from a boys’ secondary boarding school on the outskirts of Kankara, Katsina State. On 26th Feb. 2021, 279 female students aged between 10 and 17 were kidnapped during a raid by armed bandits from Government Girls Science Secondary School, a boarding school in Jangebe, in Zamfara State.

On 17 June 2021, bandits attacked FGC Birnin Yauri in Kebbi State, kidnapped 5 teachers, killed police, and abducted over 350 male and female students from the school. On 22 Sept. 2023, it was reported that Armed bandits invaded three female hostels in the Sabin Gida area of Zamfara state and abducted unspecified numbers of Federal University Gusau.

Sadly again, we woke up today, 4th of October 2023 to hear about the sad news that Gunmen kidnapped some female students of Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina from their off-campus hostel.

We are now in the era of kidnapping students of higher institutions right from the hostels of their universities.

Where are we heading to?

Where could be their next target?

What measures are the Federal Government taking to prevent reoccurrence?