In response to the escalating cases of kidnapping in the Middle-Belt region and the prevailing insecurity across the nation, members of the Middle-Belt Youth Forum are set to stage a peaceful protest today in Abuja.
The demonstration, led by the President of the forum, Brent Kane, aims to draw attention to the urgent need for the designation of kidnappers and bandits as terrorists.
The protesters plan to march to the Attorney-General of the Federation’s office, demanding an end to the rampant killings and abductions plaguing the country.
This protest follows the recent arrest of 10 suspected bandits by the military, coinciding with the seventh day of captivity for 19 individuals abducted by bandits from the Sagwari Estate Layout in Dutsen-Alhaji, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory.
Among the victims are students, including Nabeeha Al-Kadriyar, a 400-level student of Biological Science at Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, and 13-year-old Folashade Ariyo.
Tragically, four hostages, including Nabeeha and Folashade, have already lost their lives at the hands of the kidnappers.
The remaining captives, including Nabeeha’s sisters and father, continue to endure their harrowing situation, with the kidnappers demanding a N700m ransom for the release of nine victims.
Alarming developments include changing ransom amounts and a looming deadline of N100m set by the kidnappers for Wednesday.
As the nation grapples with the gravity of the situation, Brent Kane emphasized in a shared memo that the escalating violence in the North-Central region has left families and individuals in a state of despair.
The planned protest seeks to bring urgent attention to the pressing need for decisive action to curb the abduction epidemic and restore a sense of security to affected communities.
