The Muslim Students’ Society of Nigeria has expressed displeasure over the continuous detainment of six kidnapped students of the Lagos State Model College, Igbonla in Epe by their abductors.
Amir (President) of the MSSN in Lagos State, Dr. Saheed Ashafa, said the inability of security operatives to rescue the pupils after 40 days showed that security in Lagos needed to be improved upon.
He specifically called on security operatives to adopt intelligence approach in rescuing the students abducted by armed men on May 25 in the school hostel.
Ashafa lamented the long stay of the students in hostage and urged the inspector general of police to renew strategies in securing students in the country.
He said: “The continuous hostage of the students undermines and shows that Lagos security is weak. It means that efforts of the state government at equipping security operatives in the state have yielded little or no result. The situation is an embarrassment on the much rated Lagos State and may make some people think that security in the state is a charade.
“If by now the students are still in captivity, then we expect police and other security operatives to renew strategies and step up intelligence policing on this matter.
“We are not unconscious of the security implication of exposing strategies, at the same time we should not be complacent doing things the same way. Time is going over this matter.”
Ashafa imagined the psychological trauma that the kidnapped students could be going through, saying it was a betrayal of the importance of seeking knowledge.
Praying for the successful release of the kidnapped students, the Muslim students’ leader pleaded with parents of the kidnapped students to be prayerful and hopeful.
“It is painful that students who are the future and hope of the country are the ones suffering the security lapses in the state. This is a bad compensation for seeking to be educated or releasing one’s child to go to school.
“Lagos State deserves advanced intelligence, pre-emptive and sufficient policing to really combat criminal tendencies unfolding lately,” he said.
Ashafa, who deplored the wave of criminality bedevilling the peace of the state in recent time, urged the state government not to relent in its effort to secure lives and properties of residents.
“Although it could be understandable that some bad elements have been frustrating the efforts of government in recent time, we appeal to the state government not to relent in its effort to maintain a crime free Lagos,” he added.
