The abductors of students of the Confluence University of Science and Technology (CUSTECH) Osara in Kogi State, have reportedly murdered two out of the ten victims held captive.
The students murdered, ebirareporters.com learnt, were James Michael Anajuwe (Information Technology, 100 level), and Musa Hussein (Software Engineering, 100 level).
Recall that the bandits had invaded the school and abducted 24 students in a night raid. With the effort of security agencies in the state, 14 students were rescued in a gun battle while 10 were herded away by the abductors.
Spokesperson of the State Police Command, William Aya said joint security teams, comprising the Police Mobile Force (PMF), Counter-Terrorism Unit (CTU), Quick Response Unit, Intelligence Unit as well as personnel of 12 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Lokoja, DSS, hunters and local vigilantes carried out the operation.
Reacting to the murder of two hostages, a Non-Governmental Organization, Education For All (E4A) has condemned the murder of the students despite ongoing negotiations with the parents of the children, saying the murder is the height of callousness by the kidnappers.
In a statement made available to newsmen in Lokoja which was signed by the Publicity Secretary of the NGO, Nasir Ibrahim, E4A said the intent of the kidnappers was to scare young people from going to school.
“It is sad that the criminals killed two of the students who were not among the 21 rescued through the operation coordinated by the Kogi State Government, though the circumstances of their kidnap and being traced to a forest in Kwara State by security agencies are yet to be ascertained. This is sad, callous and a call for collective action against attackers of educational institutions.
“We are aware that parents of the students were negotiating with the kidnappers which slowed down the offensive on the kidnappers by security agencies so as not to endanger the lives of the captives. We were very hopeful and optimistic that they will be released at the end of the negotiations.
“Information reaching us shows that the students allegedly killed were James Michael Anajuwe, a 100 level Information Technology student and Musa Hussein, a 100 level Software Engineering student of the University. They were allegedly killed at the kidnappers’ hideout in Kwara State.
“We are broken and shattered that despite the efforts of the parents, NGOs and the State Government, we still lost these promising students. We call on the Kogi State Government to work with its Kwara State counterpart to take a decisive action against the perpetrators who are said to be hiding in a forest in Kwara, very close to Kogi and Ekiti States,” the statement said.
The NGO commiserated with the families of the lost children, urging the NSA and the Federal Ministry of Education to reinvigorate efforts on the Safe School Initiative.
“The painful loss of the two students should provoke the office of the National Security Adviser to work with the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure the safety of our schools across the country.
“It is unacceptable to lose children whose only offence was embracing education. Our nation must rise to the occasion to arrest the rising insecurity across the country.”
