The Northern Youths Movement (NYM) has accused the military of
complicity in the abduction of over 300 students of Government Girls
Secondary School (GGSS), Jangebe, in Talata Mafara Local Government
Area of Zamfara State.
The youths who called for the removal of the National Security Adviser
(NSA), General Babagana Monguno (rtd), said it was impossible for
bandits to have attacked the school, which is located less than 100
metres to a military checkpoint and abduct over 300 schoolgirls
successfully.
NYM in a release issued in Abuja on Friday, which was signed by its
Chairman, Mallam Ishaya Jato, said it was becoming obvious that the
military authority will not want banditry in the North-West and Boko
Haram insurgency in the North-East to end because of benefits being
derived from it.
It is on record that at about 11pm on Thursday, soldiers stormed
Jangebe, ordering all the residents to return to their houses
immediately. These same soldiers, who stormed the town were nowhere to
be found when the bandits invaded the town at about 1pm, two hours
after the military men came.
Also, there is a military checkpoint located not more than 100 metres
from the school.
The questions are; where were the soldiers who stormed Jangede at
about 11pm on Thursday when the bandits invaded the town two hours
later? Why was it that there was no response from the soldiers
stationed less than 100 metres to the school?
For what reason did the soldiers order residents of Jangede to return
to their houses at about 11pm? Were they aware of the bandits’
invasion? Why was it that it was a distance of 400 metres from the
school that a Police Officer, Sgt Hamza Sulaiman was killed?
We are also aware of the request for the release of $1 billion by the
National Security Adviser (NSA), General Babagana Monguno. This is
apart from the $1 billion taken from the Excess Crude Account in 2017
and budgetary allocation for the military in the 2021 Budget.
It is on record that one of the Governors that opposed this demand was
Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara State.
This latest attack therefore appears to us as an orchestrated effort
to drive home that demand by the NSA for $1 billion, which Governor
Matawalle opposed.
To us, it appears that efforts to end banditry in the North-West
through dialogue and engagement are being frustrated by the military
authority because of the money being made and it has gotten to a point
when well-meaning individuals and groups from the north should speak
out and put a permanent end to killings and kidnappings in our land.
