Students’ abductions: NANS wants bandits listed as terrorist group
...Resolves fractional crisis
Priscilla Ofunre, Ado-Ekiti
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to declare bandits kidnapping students in the Northern part of the country as terrorists.
The students’ body said anyone with propensity to kidnap and kill students in large number should be declared as terrorists to any nation.
In the meantime, the NANS has also resolved its factional crisis, which sprang up recently with the emergence of one Com. Abdumajid Oyeniyi splinter group, that was challenging the leadership of the National President, Com. Sunday Asefon.
With this development, Oyeniyi said he has reunited with the main body and affirmed his loyalty to Asefon-led national body in the interest of the over 41 million Nigerian students.
Speaking with journalists in Ado Ekiti, on Sunday, Asefon, rued the lingering closure of schools in some parts of the North, especially in Kaduna State, due to increasing wave of students’ abduction.
Asefon said the NANS’ had met with a frontline Islamic Cleric, Sheikh Ahmed Gumi on the worrisome situation, adding that the Islamic scholar had been mandated to tell the bandits when opportunity avails to stay off public schools populated by children of the poor.
“The Government should beef up security in schools. It is our belief that students should be going to schools with the assurance that they will be secured.
“I have called the Federal Government that they should declare these bandits abducting students in the North West and North central as terrorists, but the reverse has been the case.
“I had met with different stakeholders. I had been to Kaduna and several states in the Northwest and North central to plead that they should provide security.
“Though, the security formations were trying their best, but their best has failed us. They need to be more proactive.
“We want our youths to have access to education. Most of the schools are under lock and key as we speak. What is future of this country?
“We met with Sheikh Ahmed Gumi to help us appeal to them to stay away from public schools that are populated by the children of the poor. They should just leave our students alone and let them pursue their future”
On NANS’ factional crisis, Asefon, who was flanked by the former factional leader, Com. Oyeniyi and other NANS chieftains, revealed that the truce was brokered by the Special Adviser to Governor Kayode Fayemi on Federal Matters, Mr. Makinde Araoye.
“Let me bring to your notice that we have resolved our factional crisis and it was at the instance of Mr. Makinde Araoye who called us and appealed that we should think of the larger interest, which are the students.
“With this, we have proved to the nation and colleagues that truly the youths of today have what it takes to lead themselves. After we suspended the June 12 proposed protest, a faction of NANS sprang up and we thought there was need for us to reunite ourselves, so that we can make progress.
“We believe that it is in oneness that we can get better. It is our onerous task to promote the unity and welfare of the Nigerian students”.
Oyeniyi added that he decided to embrace the Asefon-led executive in the interest of the Nigerian students, who they have sworn to lead.
