The Federal Government has described as senseless, the claim in certain quarters that the abduction and release of over 300 schoolboys from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, Katsina State, was stage-managed.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, dismissed the claim on Saturday when he spoke on NTA Good Morning Nigeria’ programme.
“What precisely does the government want to achieve? Is it to prove the deficiency of the military or what?” the minister asked.
“In the case of Dapchi, we had all kinds of bizarre theories.
“You have to be in government to know how many sleepless nights the president, ministers and head of security outfits spent until the matter is resolved.”
The News Agency of Nigeria quoted the Minister as saying that many people were disappointed that the Kankara abduction was resolved so fast just like that of Dapchi.
“Many naysayers would have loved the incident to linger and become the igniting rod for their attacks.
“Otherwise, how do we describe the spurious organisation like the Bring Back Our Boys that emerged within a few days of the capture of the students.
“Within a few days of the abduction, the so-called organisation had moved to Katsina.
“When you have a situation like this, naysayers who are bent at bringing down the government will come up with all kinds of theories that do not make sense.
“Dapchi abduction was in 2018, how come two years down the lane, nobody has come out to tell us how it was stage-managed?”
The minister admonished politicians and other interest groups to stop politicising and commercialising issues of security and national tragedy.
“In times of crisis and tragedy, people normally come together to address the issue.
“It is not a time to politicise and even trade or commercialise the misery and tragedy of a nation.
“We can have our differences but when it comes to issues of security, we should come together and fight it,’’ he said.
Mohammed’s comments came a day after the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural organization attacked the Federal Government, alleging that the rescue of the Kankara schoolboys was a scam.
In a statement tilted “Kankara Boys: Now Nigeria Is Finished” on Friday Afenifere, through its National Publicity Secretary, Yinka Odumakin, alleged that the government paid a ransom for the boys’ release, contrary to the claim that they were rescued.
“Those who harbour any illusion that something is left in this joke of a country called Nigeria must have their eyes cleared after the Kankara practical joke of the abduction of hundreds of schoolboys by Boko Haram bandits.
“The tragedy was Chibok foreplay in 2014, which was a regime change platform but in which previous lives were involved.
“But with God with his big sense of humour intact, the Chibok practical joke was reenacted a few days back as President Buhari arrived in Katsina and hundreds of Kankara schoolboys were abducted by Boko Haram in broad daylight and along military routes like in Chibok.
“This time around, those who celebrated Chibok in 2014 are now in power and fumbled like amateur comedians in a big revelation that what is called terror in Nigeria is most likely a big scam being played at our expense.
“At a point, presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, who on different occasions had given the impression that he had never been too far from the key room of Boko Haram told what he regards as a silly nation that only ten boys were kidnapped as against 344 figure given by Governor Aminu Masari.
“A more accurate figure would have been given by this administration if their precious cows were the ones rustled.”
According to the organization, the height of folly in governance was when it officially came out that “another terror group, Miyetti Allah, was the front for negotiation confirming our suspicion that this government rolls with all that troubles this country.”
“The United States of America has asked what it mistakes for a government in Nigeria to hold the abductors responsible, but we know that would be the eighth wonder of the world. The army who went after peaceful protesters in Lekki and killed mercilessly will not go after these Fulani terrorists.
“We call on all Nigerians, especially the enlightened North, to rise and speak up at this mad season as we can’t continue to allow this practical joke to roll over us. It is time to rescue Nigeria from this malady and we must rise above any primordial sentiments,” it added.
