Niger abduction: Tension as parents await Kagara students return

From John Adams, Minna
Fear, anxiety and anger have pervaded Kagara, Rafi Local Government Area of Niger State as parents await the safe rescue of their children abducted from Government Science College, Kagara last Wednesday.
Meanwhile, sympathisers have continued to troop to the homes of various families to console the parents of the abductees.
Although there is heavy security presence in the town, both commercial and business activities are at the lowest ebb as people hardly stay outside beyond 7:00 pm for fear of the unknown.
The state governor, Alhaji Abubakar Sani, has cancelled all official engagements within and outside the state since the abduction of the school children, and has continued to engage various stakeholders in dialogue on how to rescue the abductees.
“We will not rest until these children are rescued and reunited with their parents. We will not only secure the release of the victims, we will solve this situation once and for all; it is not going to be easy and it will not happen in one day but we are almost getting there,” the governor said.
He reassured the people of the state that all the victims would be rescued, stressing that “the priority of the government now is to ensure (the) safe return of the school children.”
Although parents of the kidnapped students are yet to overcome the shock and trauma of the abduction of their wards, and couldn’t speak to our correspondent, however, Abdullahi Adamu, the 57-year-old father of Musa Adamu, an SS11 student, who is one of the victims, said all he wanted to see is the safe return of his child.
His words: “I believe the government will live up to its promise of rescuing these students unhurt. I can tell you that life has not been the same since my son was abducted. But I know Allah is great and will intervene in this situation.”
Meanwhile, following the recent attacks and the abduction of the students, and the 47 passengers on board a vehicle belonging to the Niger State Transport Authority, more than 300 additional special mobile policemen have been drafted to reinforce the state police for the safe rescue of all the victims.
Niger State Commissioner of Police, Mallam Adamu Usman, made this known when he received the Operation Puff Adder II in Minna.
He disclosed that it would be a community-driven operation aimed at re-dominating and reclaiming the public space from the criminals.