Kebbi students’ abduction, a dangerous signal to security in North-West – El-Rufai

The Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, on Thursday described the recent abduction of students of Federal Government Girls College in Birnin Yauri, Kebbi State, as a danger signal to security in the North-West.

El-Rufai stated this when he paid a sympathy visit to his Kebbi State counterpart, Atiku Bagudu, in Birnin Kebbi.

Bandits had on June 17 kidnapped at least 40 students and teachers from the college.

The attackers killed a guard during the incident.

The governor lamented that the criminality that plagued some states in the north had crept into Kebbi.

He said: “We were very happy that the challenges of banditry and kidnapping that plagued Zamfara, Katsina, Sokoto and even Kaduna did not affect Kebbi.

“Kebbi was an Island of peace in a sea of banditry, the recent development is disturbing. It portends serious danger to security in the North-West region.”

He said the insecurity currently affecting the state would negatively impact food production.

“Kebbi has become the centre of rice production in the country, rice is eaten by many Nigerians. This is another reason this development is disturbing,” El-Rufai added.

READ ALSO: Buhari, Gov Bagudu meet on abduction of Kebbi college students

He said the Kaduna State government is doing its best to tackle the security challenges in the state and commended the Federal Government for its support.

“As a state government, there is a limit to what we can do. We have no full control over the army, the police or the Air Force.

“The security agencies have been doing their best and we all need to do more. We all have to play our roles in the circumstance we find ourselves,” the governor concluded.

In his remarks, Bagudu, commended El-Rufai for the visit and prayers for the state.

The governor said his colleague had shown visible commitment to the fight against insecurity in Kaduna and the country as a whole.

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