Former Senator, Shehu Sani on Saturday said kidnapping has become a very lucrative business in Northern Nigeria.
The former lawmaker and Civil Rights Activist was reacting to fresh mass abductions in communities of Kajuru, Chikun, Birnin-Gwari, Giwa and Igabi Local Government Councils of Kaduna State by terrorists.
Reports said, about 280 school children were part of those abducted by terrorists on Thursday.
The target of school children by terrorists, according to Shehu Sani, was to evoke public sympathy and discouragement of Western education, particularly in the Northern region that was still lagging behind educationally.
He said terrorists’ abduction of school children was to create a climate of panic that would compel the government of the day to part with huge sums of money.
Notwithstanding the ugly incident, the former lawmaker said, records showed that incidences of abductions in the current administration were lower compared to the immediate past administration of Muhammadu Buhari.
In a post on his verified X handle on Saturday which was obtained by OsunDailyNG in Abuja, he wrote::
“The Kidnapping of School Children by terrorists in Northern Nigeria is a lucrative business.
“They use it to blackmail the Government for huge payment of ransom. They know that it will evoke public sympathy for the Pupils and pressure will be mounted on the government to bow to their demands.
“Many parents in rural areas are now afraid of allowing their children to go to school. This is a serious problem for basic education in Northern Nigeria.
“Though this tragic incident happened, there is a significant drop in the occurrence of such attacks on schools compared to its frequency under the last administration.”
