#RescueJangebeGirls: What You Need to Know About the Recent School Abduction in Nigeria
If you’re familiar with Nigerian tragedy, you would know that school abductions have unfortunately become a thing with the Nigerian gov..*coughs*…I mean, terrorists.
On the morning of the 26th of February, yet another one of those abductions occurred in the town of Jangebe, Zamfara State in North-Western Nigeria. This time, hundreds of gunmen raided a secondary school – Government Girls Secondary School – and abducted 300 girl-children.
Yikes.
The school is a Federal boarding school, one of many spread across several parts of the country. Now, all of those girls – all 300 of them – have been declared missing.
Eyewitnesses, some members of staff, in particular, told the authorities that some pupils were able to hide from these terrorists when the attack started in the wee hours of that morning.
“The gunmen in their hundreds invaded the town around 2 am on Friday, shot sporadically in the air to scare the residents before coming into the school. After taking away most of the students, we rounded up those that escaped or hid from the bandits and conducted a census where we counted 54 students and we are still searching to see if we can get more.”
Now, before you ask where everybody was when the attack started; Jangebe’s locals were reported to have tried to resist the attack until they discovered that they lacked the facilities for such an undertaking.
The Nigerian Commissioner of Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Dauran, told the News Agency of Nigeria, “I can confirm to you now that we have sadly received the report on the abduction of the students of GGSS Jangebe and right now, I am on my way to the school.
At this moment, l cannot say how many students were taken away by the gunmen until l get there, but we have already mobilized security men and members of the vigilantatè who are now in pursuit of the abductors.”
This is coming just one week after another one of such kidnaps happened in Niger State. 27 boys were taken – #freekagaraboys.
Nigerians’ Reactions to the Jangebe Kidnapping
This kind of news will only provoke one reaction among sane human beings – horror. But then, how are Nigerians reacting to this news;
These reactions are culled from Nigerians on Twitter.
“We just woke up with the news about 300 girls were abducted in Zamfara state by bandits, and our leaders and religious Malam are negotiating with them almost everyday, pls we are tired of the negotiations, we want security so pls help #RescueJangebeGirls”
@daily_trust
“Why do the Federal government find it extremely difficult to stop these terrorists? Do they have a single reason to tell the masses?
#RescueJangebeGirls”
@dadeen__
“They kidnap, you negotiate and give them what they requested. That’s why they will keep kidnapping people everyday. Please the government should find a way and #RescueJangebeGirls instead of paying the bandits.”
@Mareeyarhh
“Bandits is a very complimentary name for people who do the horrific things we read about. I wonder what will be left for terrorists to do if ordinary bandits can do all these.”
@iamunscramz
“Another day, another abduction. This is the result of paying ransom to bandits. It is obvious to all that General @MBuhari lacks the capacity to govern Nigeria. If these happenings had occurred under a Southern Christian, he would have been impeached long ago.
#RescueJangebeGirls”
@renoomokri
“Woke up to the news of 300 schoolgirls kidnapped from Jangebe in Zamfara.
Isn’t this continuous kidnapping in the North more than enough reason for their respective governors to invite the military to #RescueJangebeGirls?
Or are they only invited when it involves peaceful protests?”
@biolakazeem
“Make government Deploy Soldiers and police go Zamfara na, the way dem deploy dem go Lekki toll gate Feb.13
#RescueJangebeGirls”
@Updateboyx
If and when these girls are rescued, how long will it take till another abduction happens? Are children even safe in Nigeria anymore?
What's Your Reaction?
