Senate summons Army chief Buratai, IGP Idris over Dapchi, Chibok girls

The Senate on Thursday, mandated its committees on Police Affairs, Security and Intelligence to summon the Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai, to brief the Senate on the situation of things regarding the kidnap of over 100 school girls in Government Girls Technical College, Dapchi in Yobe State.

The Senate has also mandated the committees to enquire from Idris and Buratai their present clear operational strategies to rescue the remaining Chibok and Dapchi schoolgirls within two weeks.

The decision of the Senate, followed the adoption of a motion to commemorate 2018 International Women’s Day celebration. The motion was sponsored by Binta Masi Garba and nine other senators.

In the absence of Garba who did not attend today’s plenary, Biodun Olujimi, presented the motion on her behalf.

Read also: Buhari scores himself on anti-graft fight, security of Nigerians

In the motion, lawmakers outlined achievements of women in Nigeria and called for more attention to the rights of women.

Olujimi, while reading the motion, expressed worries over the spate of girl child kidnappings in Nigeria. She said the pattern has now assumed an alarming dimension.

She said: “The spate of Girl Child kidnappings in Nigeria has assumed an alarming dimension. On the 21st of February, 2018, the nation was shocked with the news of the kidnap of 110 school girls from Government Girls Science Technical College, Dapchi, Busari Local Government Area of Yobe State.

“This incidence is reminiscence of the 2014 Chibok Girls abduction in which 113 of the girls are stil in captivity almost four years after.

“A pattern is gradually being established which clearly indicates that the objectives of the Boko Haram Insurgents is to deprive young girls of school age from pursuing education;

“If this ugly trend is not checked, the girl child education which is part of the objective of goal number 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) would have been lost in Nigeria even before the 2030 target year.”

Deputy President of the Senate, Ike Ekweremadu, who presided, called on governments at all levels, to come up with policies that will empower women.

He also called for the implementation of the 35 affirmative action for women.
By Ehisuan Odia…

 

 

RipplesNigeria… without borders, without fears

Click here to join the Ripples Nigeria WhatsApp group for latest updates.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now