BEVERLY HILLS, February 27, (THEWILL) – Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon. Yakubu Dogara, has asked the Nigerian Army and the Nigeria Police Force to take responsibility for failing to stop the abduction of 110 schoolgirls in Dapchi, Yobe State insisting that the buck-passing between both security agencies is unacceptable.
THEWILL recalls that the buck-passing began after the Governor of Yobe State, Ibrahim Gaidam, blamed the abduction of the Dapchi schoolgirls on the withdrawal of security personnel from communities in the state.
He alleged that security checkpoints were withdrawn from Dapchi and other communities, few days before the attack, a development which he believes gave room for the incident.
But the military denied the allegation, describing it as unfortunate and far from the truth saying troops earlier deployed in Dapchi were redeployed to reinforce troops at Kanama following attacks on troops’ location at the Nigerian border the security of Dapchi town was formally handed over to the Nigeria Police Division located in the town.
However, the Police refuted the statement from the Army declaring that there was no hand-over of any sort.
Reacting, Dogara, in a press statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Public Affairs, Turaki Hassan, said rather than trading blames, the various security agencies should strengthen inter-agency collaboration and intensify efforts towards rescuing the girls.
“The statements credited to the Army and the Police in which they tried to exonerate themselves from any culpability in the unfortunate and embarrassing abduction of innocent girls from their school in Dapchi, Yobe State, is highly condemnable,” the statement read.
“This is unacceptable and the House of Representatives, and indeed Nigerians, will hold the security agencies responsible. They all bear responsibility for this unfortunate incident.
“The traumatic experience of the Chibok abduction which is still fresh in our minds should have served as a warning signal to security agencies to provide adequate security protection to all schools in the North East.
“I want to use this medium to console the parents of the abducted girls and the entire Dapchi community over this unfortunate incident.
“I also urge all Nigerians and people of goodwill from all over to pray for the safe return of the girls.”
