TheCable

Peter Jurius, chairman of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) Taraba, has urged teachers in the state to be watchful and report strange faces to security operatives in their schools.

Bandits on Wednesday morning had attacked Government Science College (GSC), Kagara, Niger state and abducted 27 students and 15 others.

Reacting to the incident, Jurius said the future of the nation is at stake.

Addressing teachers in the state, the NUT chairman made reference to the statement of Bashir Magashi, minister for defence, who urged Nigerians to defend themselves in the face of growing banditry in parts of the country.

“These children being held by bandits are doctors, journalists, professors, governors or world leaders of tomorrow,” Jurius said.

“With what is going on, our future is threatened. The government should intensify more security efforts, we should also be watchful in our environment, let’s report unusual faces to security and monitor our areas to forestall insecurity challenges.”

While the federal government had deployed a security team to join the state in its rescue efforts, local vigilantes have joined forces to ensure the safe release of the victims.

As of Friday afternoon, Abubakar Bello, governor of Niger, had said negotiations for the release of the kidnapped persons had reached the “final stage”.