- Safiu Kehinde
Former Nigerian Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has refuted claim of the Federal Government securing the release of the remaining 130 pupils of St. Mary Primary and Secondary School in, Papiri, Niger State, as she claimed that 35 pupils are still missing.
NPO Reported that the Federal Government had on Sunday confirmed the release of the remaining 130 pupils who were part of the 315 victims abducted by suspected bandits during an attack on their school on the 21st of November.
While sha had earlier expressed her delight with the release of the final batch of abducted students, Ezekwesili, in a statement issued on her official X handle on Tuesday, alleged that 35 pupils are still missing.
The ex-Presidential candidate held that only 280 victims have been released in total as she demanded the whereabout of the remaining 35 victims.
She called out the Federal Government over their silence on the remaining victims, accusing the government of lack of precision in its account for victims of abduction and mass killings across the country.
The statement read; “As relieved as I was to read that 130 pupils, students and staff abducted last month are back, I was curious about the data of victims.
“The 130 schoolchildren and their teachers were part of the original 315 victims – 303 pupils and students plus their 12 teachers who were publicly confirmed by Christian Association of Nigeria to have been abducted from St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri -Niger State on 21 November.
“They joined the 100 that were publicly announced to have been brought back by the @nigeriagov on the 7th December and the 50 that escaped on their own shortly after the tragedy.
“From this public data, it appears there are 35 victims still unaccounted for from that tragedy. It therefore surprises me to read things like “the remaining 130 school children “ or “secured the release of the last group of abducted victims”.
“Who and where are these 35 unaccounted victims that are not even once mentioned nor acknowledged in the statements made by Government Spokespersons?
“This lack of precision of Government on the number of victims has been a recurring issue since the abduction, killing and maiming of Nigerians became common in this country. It is a chilling culture of not dignifying citizens whether in life or at death.
“The public is never provided the names of victims of mass killings in our Land. All you’d read or hear in the media is “Hundreds of Nigerians killed or abducted bla bla bla”.
“This utmost disrespect of the Dead is a horrific culture that reflects badly on Nigeria and Nigerians. It makes the rest of the world look at us in wonderment.
“The dead must always be specifically identified and the correct number of victims accurately recorded and recorded.
“We must do better as a people and demand for correction of this aberration, otherwise Governments and public officials will continue to hold the Nigerian life in utter contempt.
“If there’s however any official statement on the unaccounted 35, please be kind to tag me so we know that they have not been morbidly forgotten by the @NigeriaGov @NGRPresident like our remaining ChibokGirls and Leah Sharibu.”