US Senator Jim Risch has criticised the Nigerian government over its long-standing failure to prevent the abduction of students by jihadist groups and criminal gangs.
Gatekeepers News reports that Risch, who heads the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made the remarks in a post on X, noting that schoolchildren, especially girls, continue to face severe dangers.
He wrote, “Nigeria has long failed to protect its schoolchildren from jihadist and criminal abductions, and little has changed.”
“As the U.S. engages the Nigerian government on the persecution of its most vulnerable citizens, we will continue to hold them accountable.”
Recall that on Monday, armed men stormed Government Girls Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, where 25 students were taken away.
The vice principal, Hassan Makuku, was killed during the incident, while a security guard, Ali Shehu, was shot in the hand. According to police spokesperson Naff’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi, the attackers arrived with “sophisticated weapons.”
President Bola Tinubu later confirmed that security agencies had received advance intelligence suggesting the bandits planned an attack in the area.
He called on communities particularly those in vulnerable regions to share information with the military, police, and DSS to help prevent further incidents.
