ACF condemns abduction of Zamfara female varsity students, says a set back to girl child education

The Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has condemned the abduction of some female students of Federal University, Gusau, Zamfara, saying it a great set back to girl child education.
In a statement on Sunday in Kaduna, the forum called on the federal government to ensure that the students are released unharmed.
The students were abducted in the early hours of Friday at their off- campus hostels in Sabon Gida village, Bungudu Local Government Area of the state.
The ACF in the statement signed by Prof. Tukur Mohammad-Baba, its National Publicity Secretary, said the incident has serious implications on the girl child education.
The statement said, although official information about the incident was scanty, “personal testimonies from witnesses to the disturbing incident suggests that the attack was well planned, coordinated and executed by the bandits”.
The statement noted that, “Evidently, female students were specifically targeted, and the bandits were at the crime scene fully prepared.
“Efforts to repel the bandits by the Nigerian Army neither deterred nor stopped the bandits from going off with a yet-to-be fully ascertained number of hapless victims.
“ACF condemns the abductions in the strongest of terms. It is very disconcerting that such a most unfortunate criminal incident is not the first of its kind in memory but it certainly is one abduction far too many to occur in any community in Nigeria, nor elsewhere in the world.”
The forum lamented that “the incident is very worrisome, with very negative implication, especially, for the girl-child education.
“A pointer to the unfolding tragedy is in an apparent ‘voice note’ on social media where a girl was heard stating that her father had called her home, ordering that her pursuit of a university degree be abandoned; another was heard advising intending candidates for admission not to select this particular institution as place of choice.
“This is an absolutely and highly regrettable development to be condemned in all its ramifications”.
The forum called for prayers for the immediate and unconditional release of the abducted students unharmed.
It also called on the security forces “not to relent in the efforts to contain banditry and terrorism in Zamfara State and elsewhere in the country”.
The forum however, “commended the Zamfara state government for its timely and quick response to the situation through a high-powered delegation on a confidence-building visit to the scene to commiserate and reassure the community about the government’s commitment to citizens’ safety and security”.
It further called on the federal government “to spare no efforts in ensuring that the abducted students are released unharmed forthwith.”
The statement urged the federal government “to rejig Nigeria’s security architecture and to come up with new multi-pronged containment strategies against security and related existential threats bedeviling schools and indeed all communities.
It added that, “Such new strategies should aim at the total eradication of the scourge of banditry and terrorism country-wide.”