TheCable

Atiku Abubakar, Nigeria’s former vice-president, has appealed to “relevant authorities” to boost security around educational institutions, knowing Boko Haram’s aversion to formal education.

Condemning Monday’s bomb attack, which killed 47 pupils and left 79 others injured, Atiku lamented the extent of insecurity in the northeast region.

A suicide bomber, who disguised as a student struck at the assembly ground of Government Technical Science College, Potiskum, Yobe.

The incident happened exactly a week after another suicide bomber detonated a bomb amidst a crowd of Shi’a Islamic movement followers still in Potiskum, killing 23.

However, Atiku called for a collaborative effort to put an end to insurgency.

“This is not the first time in Yobe state and indeed in the troubled north-east region that innocent young people are subjected to violence and untimely death for the simple reason that they want an education,” Atiku said in a statement issued by his media office.

“The latest bombing, which needlessly claimed the lives of 47 young and promising Nigerian school children, is one too many and once again underscores the need for the government at all levels including our elders and opinion leaders to find a permanent solution to the problem of insurgency which has ravaged our country for the past five years.

“One expects that knowing the anti-education mind-set of the perpetrators of these heinous crimes, the relevant authorities should have done their bit to ensure that at least, our educational institutions are provided with additional security.

“The perpetrators of this crime and similar ones in the past should have a rethink and refrain from taking life which none of us can create.”

He expressed condolences to the families affected by the incident.