Kidnapped Kaduna Students: Buhari barks threats from Abuja

President Muhammadu Buhari has once again warned bandits terrorising the country to put an end to their criminal activities or face his wrath.

The president in a statement on Saturday, March 13, 2021 issued a stern warning, especially to those targeting schools, that the government is capable of crushing them.

The speech was in reaction to the recent abduction of 39 students from Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation in Afaka, Igabi local government area of Kaduna State on Thursday, March 11.

The terrorists have since released a video of the kidnapped victims inside the forest, and demanded N500 million for their release.

The incident comes less than a month after 24 students and 12 others were kidnapped from a school in Kagara, Niger State, and 279 schoolgirls were kidnapped from a school in Jangebe, Zamfara State.

Buhari in his Saturday statement said the country will not allow the destruction of the school system.

He had assumed a similar tone after the Jangebe abduction which he promised would be the last under his administration.

In that statement in late February, Buhari said the bandits are not too powerful for the government, and that they should not consider him to be weak because of his restraint in ensuring captives are released safely.

There have been a total of five major school abductions under the president, including in Kankara in his home state of Katsina in December 2020, and Dapchi, Yobe in February 2018.

There have also been other lesser-known school abductions, including in Kaduna last year, and Edo State days ago, that haven't received the same widespread media coverage.

All of the abducted victims in the five major abductions have been retrieved except for five that died in Dapchi, and Leah Sharibu, another Dapchi victim, who was not released by Boko Haram terrorists.

A student was also killed during the abduction in Kagara last month.

No one has been arrested or prosecuted for any of the abductions, with the government known to engage in peace talks with the bandits and terrorists who have received ransom payments in the past.