Insecurity: Buhari’s Minister Says She Is Desolate And Worried |The Source

By Adesina Soyooye

Taking everything into account, the Minister of Women  Affairs, Mrs Pauline Tallen, said the state of insecurity in the country breaks her heart.

Tallen, a former Deputy Governor of Plateau State, under a PDP Government, before she defected to the APC, in a statement she personally signed, said she had become desolate and worried over the spate of insecurity in Nigeria.

The Minister was reacting to the abduction of 317 female Secondary School students from their hostel in the early hours of Friday, February 26  in Zamfara State.

Seven of those students have reportedly returned home after escaping from their abductors during a long walk into the forest.

Outrage has greeted the students’ abduction.

President Buhari described it as despicable, and warned that his Government would never submit to blackmail. He called the bandits criminals. UNICEF has urged the Nigerian Government to get the children released.

Following is Tallen’s statement in full.

“In another heartbreaking news this morning, we were confronted with  activities of  Gunmen who stormed another  Secondary School in Zamfara  kidnapping 300 Female Students. Why? Why? Why?

“While we are still mourning the kidnap of the Kagara boys, we are at a loss at this constant threat to the security of our children. It is very unfortunate that Nigerian children have increasingly become targets.

“As Nigerian Women, mothers and nurturers of life, we can no longer pretend that this is not affecting our psyche.

“As the Minister of Women Affairs,  I am desolate and very worried. I am therefore appealing to all those engaged in these mindless act to free our children in captivity and allow Nigeria to thrive.

“While I implore our Security Agencies to do the needful, I call on Nigerian Mothers to please join me at this time to condemn in strong words this mindlessness. Let us raise our voices in prayers and fasting to the Almighty for His intervention in our land. Enough is enough.

“We remain committed to the goal of a peaceful Nigeria.”

The Zamfara abduction is the second Bandits would target a school within two weeks, and the fifth under the Buhari Government.

Two weeks ago, Bandits stormed a boy’s school in Kagara, Niger State, killed a student, abducted 27 others, three members of Staff and 12 family members of a staff.

It was in the process of mounting a surveillance for their rescue, that a NAF Aircraft crashed in Abuja, on it’s way to Minna, Niger State, killing all the seven Airforce personnel on board.

They were buried on Thursday, February 25, in Abuja.

Fortunately, the Kagara students, staff members, and families were released in the early hours of today, Saturday, February 27, – 24 hours after the abduction of the 317 Zamfara students.