The National Association of Nigerian Students has denounced the recent attack that killed at least 51 students in the Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State’s Zikke and Kakpa communities.
The student leaders called for the relocation of military headquarters to the state as part of efforts to tame the attacks while consoling the affected families.
NANS, in a statement jointly signed by its National President, Olushola Oladoja, and its National Public Relations Officer, Samson Adeyemi, on Tuesday, demanded immediate action from the military to end the killings.
PUNCH Metro reports that at least 51 people were killed by gunmen with scores injured in the early hours of Monday barely one week after the National Emergency Management Agency confirmed that deadly clashes in another part of the state left 52 people dead.
Reacting to the killings, NANS noted that some students of the state were killed in the attacks while others were either injured or missing.
“The safety of students, staff, and the general public can no longer be guaranteed under the current circumstances. Therefore, NANS is calling for the immediate relocation of the Nigerian Military Headquarters to Plateau State as a strong and strategic move to combat the ongoing genocide in communities, enabling the restoration of lasting peace in the state.
“NANS mourns with the families of those who have lost their loved ones and stands in solidarity with the affected communities. We remain committed to advocating for justice, peace, and the right to education in a free, safe, and secure environment for all Nigerian students,” the statement concluded.
The students’ body decried that the attacks, if unchecked, pose a setback for academic activities in the state.
The statement read, “We are alarmed by the continuous wave of attacks that have claimed dozens of lives and displaced many, including students of Plateau State University and other educational institutions, which are now direct victims of the insecurity ravaging the state.
“The recent attacks have created uncertainties about the peacefulness of the state and increased a deep sense of fear and helplessness among students and young people who should be focused on their education. While many students have lost their lives, several others are injured or missing, leaving campuses deserted and academic activities paralysed.
“Going by the consistency and intensity of attacks in the state, it is not out of place to mention that it is challenging to be a student in Plateau State at this time because these bizarre attacks will create setbacks for students in advancing their academic pursuits.”
NANS stressed that the recurring attacks had shown the failure of the military and the federal government, adding that the attacks persist due to a lack of stiffer punishments for perpetrators.
It continued, “It is unacceptable that in a country with a structured security architecture, communities are still being invaded without accountability or punishment of perpetrators. Our fellow citizens are being slaughtered with impunity, and our rural communities are being overrun and destroyed by faceless individuals.
“The failure of current security strategies demands a more drastic and responsive approach from the Federal Government and the Nigerian Armed Forces. Otherwise, it will be a shame that this once beautiful state will become a shadow of itself, just as many others have become dens of bandits and so-called outlaws.”
NANS added that it would “not stand idly by and watch the continuous decline in the safety of Nigerian students in Plateau State. We will continue to demand accountability and adequate security provisions as long as this challenge lingers and no concrete measures are being taken to avert future occurrences.”
Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu condemned the violence in the state, urging the state’s leadership to find a lasting solution to persistent communal conflicts.
“We cannot allow this devastation and the tit-for-tat attacks to continue. Enough is enough,” Tinubu said in a statement signed on Monday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
