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A retired senior Nigerian Air Force officer, Group Captain Sadeeq Shehu, has advised the Federal Government and the Katsina authorities on the rescue of schoolchildren who have been missing for two days.
He specifically warned against the use of force in an attempt to rescue children and recommended negotiation as the first step to take.
Shehu, who is an adjunct professor at the George Marshall European Center for Security Studies in Germany, made the remarks during his appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
“As we move into the rescue operation, I would like to sympathize with the people involved and also sympathize with the security officers and at the same time sound a warning, in all honesty, I don’t feel completely comfortable when I heard that there was an exchange of gunfire, ”he said.
The security expert explained: “In a situation where you have children who are still with hostages, and it’s not even in a confined space… this is inside the forest, I think the idea of exchanging fire with people who still have hostages. our children must be properly thought about.
“There could be a lot of risks in that. When you have hostages with a criminal or kidnapper, I think the first issue will be a negotiation. “
On Friday night, bandits invaded the Government Science High School in Kankara, a local government area in Katsina with hundreds of students missing in the process.
VIDEO: Defense Minister Major General Bashir Magashi says all schoolchildren will be returning home in the next few hours.
Lack of training in Nigerian security architecture
The incident sparked outrage with calls from various individuals and groups to the government to step up efforts to protect people and their property.
While Katsina State Governor Aminu Masari confirmed that at least 333 students were missing, Defense Minister Major General Bashir Magashi said the children would be rescued within a few hours.
More than five hours after the minister made the comments, the students have yet to return as of press time.
In a further reaction to the kidnapping, Shehu, who is also a former deputy head of security at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, condemned the response time of the security forces to get to the school.
According to him, the security officers took about nine hours to respond, as there was no response until the following morning.
The security expert insisted that involving the bandits in a shooting was the wrong move, emphasizing that such a situation could expose the kidnapped students to danger.
“Once again, it shows the training that we lack in our security architecture. Every police department should have a negotiator because we cannot shoot the forest when we don’t know where the children are.
“The problem is not to blame, but we have to accept that attacks on schools have become a function not only in Nigeria but in many other countries around the world,” he said.
Shehu added: “There are lessons to be learned from the government side, from the school authorities, it is necessary to have the minimum standard of safety and protection.”
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