FG promises to rescue abducted medical students

•To address rising out-of-school children
•Seadogs push for state of emergency on insecurity

The Senior Special Assistant on Students’ Engagements to the President, Sunday Asefon, has assured students that President Bola Tinubu will take necessary steps to tackle the increasing insecurity of students, and the rising number of out-of-school children in the country.

The presidential aide stated this against the backdrop of the recent abduction of about 20 medical students who were on their way to Enugu State, passing through the Otukpo Local Council of Benue State before they encountered the bandits.

Asefon said that Tinubu is committed to rescuing the students and tackling the issue of out-of-school children roaming the streets. He gave the assurance, yesterday, in Ado Ekiti, Ekiti State, at the commencement of a two-day leadership training organisedby his office for students’ union leaders in the South West, with the theme, ‘Building Responsible Leaders for National Development.’

Asefon asserted that the training was aimed at equipping the students’ leaders with the right skills to manage friction with school management for steady, unhindered, and progressive school calendars to be attainable.

The presidential aide added that Tinubu, as a student and youth-friendly leader, is determined to hand over power to the youthful generation, saying that there is a need for such future leaders to be trained in leadership skills for the nation to have a prosperous and blossoming future.

HOWEVER, in a grave expression of concern about the escalating kidnapping in Nigeria, the National Association of Seadogs (NAS), also known as Pyrates Confraternity, has called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on kidnapping urgently.

The call came in response to a disturbing surge in abductions, and the brutal killings of victims, which have become increasingly rampant across the country.

However, in a statement issued, yesterday, by the NAS Capn, Dr. Joseph Oteri, the situation has reached a critical point, with criminal elements operating with impunity, while spreading fear and chaos among the populace.

According to section 33(1) of the 1999 Constitution, “every person has a right to life, and no one shall be deprived intentionally of his life, save in execution of the sentence of a court in respect of a criminal offence of which he has been found guilty in Nigeria.”