Spring of Hope for The Girl-Child Development Initiative (SHoGDI); a charity – advocacy Non-Governmental Organisation has charged all stakeholders to set aside Party and Religious sentiments so as to protect the territorial integrity of Nigeria.
SHoGDI made this charge in a statement condemning the abduction of students in the University of Agriculture, Makurdi in Bebue State and the recent the attack at an Internally Displaced Persons’ Camp at Abagena, Benue State by bandits alleged to be herdsmen wherein lives of adults and children where claimed.
The statement, authorized by the Executive Director; Mimidoo Uhundu frowned at the increasing rate of insecurity in the country and reminded that security of lives and property of citizens is the obligation of the government and should be treated as priority just as the Group added that it is really pathetic that refugees who ran from their villages to take refuge at the Abagena camp which is meant to be safe were attacked by bandits.
Continuing, SHoGDI recalled that over the weekend, an unconfirmed number of students of the Federal University of Agriculture in Makurdi (FUAM) in Benue State were reported to have been kidnapped by unknown gunmen.
“An unconfirmed number of students of FUAM were abducted at gunpoint by unknown persons from the Campus on Sunday 25th April 2021. Though University has reported the incident to the police and all relevant security agencies, the University is yet to hear anything from the students or their captors since the unfortunate incident took place,” said SGoGDI
While lamenting that in the last two weeks, over seventy persons had been killed in Makurdi Local Government alone while various communities across Benue are suffering from same militia herdsmen, SHoGDI revealed that seven dead bodies have so far been counted with many others injured in the armed attack at Abagena community housing Internally Displaced Persons camp in Makurdi Local Area of Benue State.
SHoGDI described the attack on the IDP camp as inhuman, barbaric and unacceptable and called for an urgent action to be taken against the activities of bandits and militia herdsmen. “If the Government and various stakeholders had taken the issue of militia herders and bandits seriously, it wouldn’t had escalated to this level.
“It is time for us all to come to together, putting aside party and religious sentiments to protect our territorial integrity. The relevant authorities must act swiftly to ensure the release of the abducted students and further increase the security in primary, secondary and tertiary institutions to ensure the safety of students. As citizens, we must remain vigilant as no one is safe until we are all safe!” SHoGDI concluded.
