Senator laments increase case of kidnapping in the North

Senator Abdullahi Adamu, Chairman, Northern Senators Forum, has expressed concern over increasing wave of kidnapping, Boko Haram, and other forms of criminality in the northern part of the country.

Adamu, who spoke during a two-day Northern Senator's Forum retreat on Restructuring, in Katsina State, restated the Senate's commitment to stem the tide of events and happenings that had beclouded the country in recent times.

He noted that Senators had finalized plans to unfold a comprehensive security framework to address the current trend of insecurity across the country. 

The senator however called on Nigerians not to be too hasty in ascribing motives behind the security challenge in the country. He added that the acts were considered and treated purely as a crime, pending outcome of investigations.

Adamu called on youths in the state not to allow themselves to be used under whatever guise to perpetrate crime, as no one would be spared when caught.

On his part, Saraki lamented that more than 12 million children were out of school in the country, making it the highest in the world.

He said the lawmakers cannot, "simply abandon millions of Nigerian children to the trap of ignorance and poverty.”

According to him, "It behoves us, therefore, to come up with policies in the out-of-school population and improve on the numbers as we go along."

Saraki also lamented on the low number of private universities in the northern part of the country, adding that something needed to be done by stakeholders to address the situation.

Saraki added: "We need to change the game to empower our people to compete in equal terms with the rest of the country and the world.”

Speaking on the agitation for restructuring the country, Saraki said the issue should be addressed in such way that interest and unity of the country takes precedence.

According to him, while restructuring is on the front burner, stakeholders must however give, "precedence to the unity of Nigerians at all times, and put the interest of country first.” 

"We must not be afraid to think outside the box. We must not be afraid of reform," he added.

In a paper presentation, chairman of the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), Ibrahim Coomassie called on northern state governors to work together to fashion out a northern agenda that would take care of all the various interest in the region.

Coomassie, who was former Inspector General of Police, also called for the mobilisation of northerners to develop areas of comparative advantages to forestall any eventuality.