It is heartwarming that the N100 Million demanded by bandits as ransom for the release of the innocent 11 Schoolgirls of the federal government college (FGC) Yauri, Kebbi state have been realised. Yes the N100 million is in the account of the committee set up to solicit for donations towards the release of the schoolgirls but there is a problem: Bandits have vowed not to accept the old Naira notes. They want the scarce new redesigned Naira notes. N100 Million in cash delivered to them. Counted and verifed to the last Naira note before they release the 11 schoolgirls.
The Imam of Dr Bello Mosque in Birnin-Kebbi, Kebbi state confirmed that a total of N105 Million has been donated by top politicians, government officials, philanthropists and businessmen in and outside Kebbi state to secure the release of the innocent FGC Yauri schoolgirls.
Wielding his powers as he deem fit, the bandits leader terrorist Dogo Gide has insisted that he will accept only new Naira notes – N100 Million in cash. Counted and verified to the last Naira note.
Recall that the innocent schoolgirls were abducted on 17th June 2021 along with 112 schoolchildren and 8 teachers of FGC Yauri all of whom have been released by the terrorists except the 11 girls.
The 11 innocent schoolgirls have so far spent a total of 611 days in the terrorists den since June 17, 2021.
Sadly, the families of the kidnapped schoolgirls had to set up an appeal fund after the terrorists leader Dogo Gide gave them a final offer to pay N100 million cash as ransom or forget their daughters forever. This was expectedly heartbreaking. Some of the parents had sold off their houses but they couldn’t meet up with this humongous bill by the terrorists.
The committee for the release of the girls is making all efforts to secure N100 million new Naira notes to be taken to the terrorists so that the girls can be released and reunited with their families even as news are ripe that some of the girls have been forcefully married off to bandits and been delivered of babies while in captivity.
HOLDING THE NATION TO RANSOM
Clearly, bandits call the shots in Nigeria and are holding the nation to ransom.
After holding the innocent schoolgirls for close to 20 months, these criminals are asking for N100 million new Naira notes as ransom. The issue becomes more disturbing when juxtaposed with the fact that the bandits are holding the innocent girls in Nigeria. They are not in space or another planet. They are within the borders of Nigeria yet they cannot be traced and eliminated.
More disturbing is the fact that the bandits are using mobile phones to negotiate with the families of the schoolgirls yet they cannot be traced and/or digitally demobilised.
As a matter of fact, at some point the bandits leader terrorist Dogo Gide refused to pick the phone calls of the families of the schoolgirls until they (the families) spoke to his (terrorist Gide’s) mother who intervened and begged her son (Gide) to speak to the families. It was at that point that the terrorists leader Gide agreed to reopen negotiations with the families and said the only thing he can do is to give them a final offer to pay N100 million ransom or forget about their daughters forever.
This is a test-case of how bandits are holding Nigeria to ransom. A terrorist gives an order that he must be paid N100 million in brand NEW NAIRA notes. Obviously, the N100 million will be used by the terrorists to buy more weapons and use same weapons to kidnap more innocent schoolgirls.
The scenario presents itself in a vicious cycle: The terrorists kidnap innocent schoolgirls and get the ransom, buys more AK-47, kidnaps again and again, gets more ransom, buys more weapons, kidnaps again, collects more payments, buys more sophisticated weapons. The cycle continues until thy kingdom comes.
WAKE UP CALL FOR THE GOVERNMENT
The issue of the kidnapped FGC Yauri schoolgirls is a wake up call for the government at all levels to step up action against these bandits before destroy what is left of Nigeria. In the near term, the terrorist will certainly make every girl of school age in Northern Nigeria think twice before she goes to school. The parents are now wary of sending their wards to school in Northern Nigeria this exacerbating the out-of-school children syndrome in Northern Nigeria. Currently, Nigeria ranks second to India in the global index of out-of-school children. Nigeria has a total number of 13.5 million children out of school and this number is on the rise owing to kidnapping of innocent school children by bandits particularly in Northern Nigeria.
Our gallant military are doing a lot in the counterinsurgency operations but more needs to be done.
JUSTICE REFORMS
The judiciary must step up as well. It is preposterous that no bandit has been prosecuted in Northern Nigeria despite the killings and abductions going on unabated. There should be special tribunals to prosecute bandits, special judges and special laws which prescribe capital punishments.
TECHNOLOGY TO STOP BANDITS’ USE OF MOBILE PHONES TO PERPETRATE KIDNAPPINGS AND OTHER CRIMINAL ACTIVITIES.
The Federal ministry of communications must deploy digital IC technology to stop the use of mobile phones by bandits and other terrorists to perpetrate criminal activities. Where is the huge revenue allocation/budgets to the federal ministry of communications? Where is the huge revenue allocation/budgets to the national communications commission (NCC)? Where is the huge revenue allocation/budgets to the national information technology development agency (NITDA)? What are these MDAs doing with such humongous budgets if they cannot stop the use of mobile phones by bandits?
Indeed, the government should step up. These terrorists must never win us.
