By The Senate on Tuesday described the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo state as a captivity of the nation.
Senator Godswill Akpabio led the lawmakers in a one-minute silence in honor of two teachers and a pupil killed in connection with the attack. He exuded his concerns at the Upper Chamber of the National Assembly at the resumption of plenary on Tuesday.
“We resume our work under the mournful shadow of a tragedy that has shaken our nation. The abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State is not merely an attack on innocent citizens; it is an assault on our collective humanity” he noted
He expressed that if the country cannot protect the children, the future is at stake. A country that cannot protect the future builders is an impediment to the foundation of our educational system.
“We mourn because if we cannot protect our children, we imperil our future. We mourn because a nation that cannot guarantee the safety of its teachers weakens the very foundations upon which education rests. And we mourn because, for as long as those children remain in captivity, our nation remains captive with them.”
He further mourned the two teachers that were killed and the child whose life was maimed
“We share the pain of the bereaved families. Their loss is our loss. Their sorrow is our sorrow. Their pain is our pain,” he stated
He expressed his solidarity with the security agencies placing his hope over the safety of those in captivity.
“At moments such as these, there is a temptation to divide, accuse and seek advantage from tragedy. Politicians and aspirants must resist that temptation for such cheap publicity
Those who kidnap our children, terroriser communities and murder innocent citizens do not distinguish between party, faith or ethnicity. Their assault is directed against Nigeria itself,” he noted.
He strongly advised lawmakers and Nigerians to be firm and united towards strengthening the security of the country and ensure that perpetrators of evil were being punished
