From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

Governor of Kebbi State Atiku Bagudu on Tuesday night briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the June 17 attack on the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, by gunmen who abducted dozens of students and teachers.

The governor declared that with unity of purpose by all Nigerians, violent criminals, be they insurgents, kidnappers and armed robbers, can be successfully defeated.

The Police Command in Kebbi State, through its spokesperson, Nafiu Abubakar, had reported the gunmen killed a police officer and shot one student who was receiving treatment.

Governor Bagudu spoke at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, while fielding questions from State House Correspondents after the meeting with President Buhari.

The governor lauded the security agencies for rescuing some pupils and teachers.

He said the security agencies needed more support from all Nigerians to end the challenges of insecurity across the country.

The governor, who said the president restated his directive to security agencies to deal with criminal elements in the society, revealed that more governors would mobilise against ‘criminal elements’ in the coming days with the action of Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger State.

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‘I visited Mr President, President Muhammadu Buhari, to further brief him about the unfortunate incidents in Kebbi State, at the Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, where a number of bandits overwhelmed the security agencies and abducted a number of pupils, teaching staff and non-teaching staff and the regrettable loss of life by a police officer in the process and some pupils also and those who were wounded in the process, and those who are still in the hands of the terror gang even though some successes have been commendably achieved by the rescue of some pupils and teachers,’ the Kebbi governor stated.

‘I explained to him that the security agencies have mobilised and are doing a great job, assisted by the military, the Air Force, the police, civil defence, vigilante and community leaders. They are still at it and they’re doing a great job, but we need more support from all Nigerians and in fact all to ensure that we give them our maximum cooperation to finish what they have started.

The president has, as always, expressed sympathy to those innocent persons who are held hostage against their will by terror elements and he condemned the action of all terror groups, wherever they are, whether they are bandits, Boko Haram, or any group that is taking away the liberty and freedoms and, in fact, lives and livelihoods of others. He maintained the instruction he has always given to the security agencies to give their maximum best in dealing with those criminal elements.

‘Our stand, I have made it very clear this is condemnable, this should not happen and all people of goodwill, all good people should mobilise to confront evil and evil elements and criminal elements in our society. It’s not just a job for the security agencies, we have to support them. We have to mobilise.

“Since I made that statement, which I meant by every stretch of the imagination, many groups have come out to demonstrate similar supports and yesterday we have seen mobilisation by the Niger State governor and I believe we’ll see more in the coming days.

‘Nigerians should unite so that we confront criminality. Even yesterday, Fulani leaders in Kebbi State all visited Government House, Kebbi, even though I was not there to receive them, to condemn and to distance themselves from those renegade groups, or renegade criminal elements and to offer to support in whatever role the security agencies will want them to play.’

The governor added: ‘On Friday, I spent about three hours in the school where I met the very courageous parents and they are appreciative of the effort of the security agencies, particularly the police officers, who are providing security in the school and the principal and staff of the school and also what other security agencies are still doing in the field.

‘While offering our sympathies to all those innocent young ones and teachers who are being held. They also appreciated that this thing requires unity of purpose by all Nigerians and that is what will show support to them in calling all governors and even without out calling them, they are eager to do it. But this is further a wake-up call to all of us.’