On Friday, Senator Shehu Sani, a former congressman, bemoaned the issues the kidnapping of schoolchildren by terrorists in northern Nigeria has caused for the region’s educational system and called it a profitable business.
According to Sani, kidnappers use it as leverage to force the government to pay a hefty ransom. They also know that by doing this, the public will sympathize with the students, increasing pressure on the government to comply with their demands.
According to reports, terrorists raided LGEA Primary School, Kuriga (1), in the Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Thursday morning, kidnapping approximately 285 students and staff.
It was learned that the incident occurred right after the morning assembly, at approximately 8:20 a.m.
Sani noted that a significant issue for basic education in northern Nigeria is that a lot of parents in rural regions may now be reluctant to let their kids attend school.
He said: “The kidnapping of school children by terrorists in Northern Nigeria is a lucrative business. They use it to blackmail government for huge payment of ransom.
“They know that it will evoke public sympathy for the pupils and pressure will be mounted on the government to bow to their demands. Many parents in rural areas are now afraid of allowing their children to go to school. This is a serious problem for basic education in Northern Nigeria.
“Though this tragic incident happened, there is a significant drop in the occurrence of such attacks on schools compared to its frequency under the last administration.”
