Insecurity Getting Out of Control Nationwide, Peace Corps Boss, Akoh warns FG
* Wants Peace Corps Deploy to schools.
The federal government has been alerted that the on-going security challenges across the country may soon get out of hand unless conscious and deliberate new policies geared towards protecting, securing and safeguarding citizens and institutions are urgently put in place.
National Commandant of the Peace Corps of Nigeria PCN Ambassador Dickson Akoh who issued the warning said that available facts have shown that the country is passing through unprecedented security challenges that are defying prescribed or conventional solution.
At a media briefing in Abuja, the Peace Corps boss however said that as serious as the situation is, Nigerians should not resort to trading blames or embark on divisive tendencies.
Rather than passing the bucks, he appealed that collective commitments should be geared towards forming a strong bond against banditry and terrorism ravaging the nation.
Akoh who condemned the honor being visited on innocent pupils in schools, pleaded with the federal and state governments to deploy his personnel to schools to curb the incessant attacks on schools.
He noted that ransoms allegedly paid to kidnappers and criminals would be enough to place over 5,000 Peace Corps officers on a monthly basis to protect schools against external attackers.
According to him, even without arms, the Corps will function effectively with intelligent gathering and collaboration with relevant security agencies, warning that the civil unrest would continue even with the mounting of security posts in troubled spots, except government takes concrete measures to empower the masses.
The Peace Corps boss claimed that over 1,140 students have been kidnapped in seven years with some either killed, forcefully married off or serially raped with reckless abandon.
‘It is logical to acknowledged here that our dear country is indeed passing through unprecedented security challenges that seems to have defy prescribed or conventional solution,’ he said.
‘Kidnappers via-a-vis the bandits focused their attack on the elites and political office holders in the name of ventilating their anger and frustrations.
‘But redirecting their attention on innocent youths and students, being soft targets, is to say the least, an act taken too far and this calls for drastic measures to be in place if the war against banditry is to be won.
‘So far, statistics reveals that from Chibok to Jangede 1,140 students have been abducted in seven years with some of them killed, forcefully married away, maimed or remained truamatised even after regaining freedom.
‘The banditry and the attendant horror being visited on our schools, if not urgently addressed frankly and frontally, will not only instil psychological fear on the students, which is capable of creating a disconnect in our educational system, with grievous implications on national development.
‘Peace Corps Nigeria urges the Federal Government to urgently come up with conscious and deliberate policies geared towards protecting, securing and safeguarding our institutions of learning from further attacks by the marauding bandits.’
‘In other civilised climes, every aspect of social life has its specialised security network. The primary focus of the Peace Corps of Nigeria is to secure educational institutions from intruders and also combat all forms of social vices with a view to create a peaceful and conducive atmosphere for learning.
‘This is also part of the functions that the Bill for an Act to establish the Nigerian Peace Corps currently pending before the 9th is National Assembly is seeking to address.’
Akoh appealed to the federal government and the entire Nigerians to rise to the challenges posed by insecurity by teaming up against the banditry and terrorism.