Post military personnel to all schools — Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar yesterday, in a statement, called on the Federal Government to post armed military personnel at all schools “for 24/7 protection.”

Atiku condemned the abduction of the students and staff of Government Science College, Kagara, Niger State.

He asked the Federal Government to declare all secondary and primary schools in the affected states and zones as federal protected zones,

“If it’s not feasible to have armed military guards in all schools, then each state in the should as a matter of urgency replicate the Civilian Joint Task Force idea, that has worked so well in Borno, and deploy them to each school, along with men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

“What we must not do is do nothing. History may forgive us for making wrong decisions, but we’ll never be forgiven if we carry on business as usual.

“As a nation, we must be willing to provide the same level of security that we provide for the schools that the children of the elite attend, for schools that the children of other classes of Nigerians attend.”

He also said: “The spate of insecurity in Nigeria is now beyond alarming. It has gotten to crisis levels, especially when it involves children and other minors.

“Now is not the time for fingers to point in blame. Our nation needs solutions. And we have now seen that paying ransoms, and allowing criminals to profit from their criminality is not a solution.

“When you reward crimes, the end result is more crime.

“The only long term solution to the insecurity challenge Nigeria is facing is to end the reign of impunity.

“The Federal Government must enforce the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria against abductions and kidnappings, by apprehending the criminals, trying them and making an example of those convicted, to serve as a deterrent to others.”