The Minority Caucus in the House of Representatives has condemned the abduction of students and staff of a Catholic school in Niger State, describing the incident as a disturbing setback to national security.
The caucus stated this in a communiqué jointly signed by the Minority Leader, Rep. O.K. Chinda; Minority Whip, Rep. Ali Isa; Deputy Minority Leader, Rep. Aliyu Madaki; and Deputy Minority Whip, Rep. George Ozodinobi.
The lawmakers said they received with concern the report of the attack on St. Mary’s School, Papiri, in Agwara Local Government Area, where several students and workers were abducted in the early hours of Friday, Nov. 21.
They noted that the Niger State Government and the Catholic Diocese of Kontagora had both confirmed the incident, which they described as “shocking and deeply troubling.”
“These recurring brazen acts of criminality are causing global embarrassment to Nigeria and must be halted,” the caucus said.
They urged the Federal Government to take urgent measures to rescue the victims and reinforce security across vulnerable communities.
The caucus also called on security agencies to intensify intelligence gathering and “think outside the box” in efforts to locate the missing persons.
It further urged the government to embark on large-scale recruitment into security agencies and explore external partnerships to boost public safety.
“The primary purpose of government is the security and welfare of the people, as enshrined in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution. The government is failing in this responsibility,” the caucus added.