The Management of the Federal University, Gusau has called on the Federal Government to expedite efforts to secure the release of the remaining abducted female students of the institution who are still in captivity.

Dean of Student Affairs of the University, Dr Lawal Saad, made the call in Gusau, during a one-day interactive session with the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Student Engagement on Safe School Initiatives, Sunday Adebayo in Gusau.

“The Concern of the Federal University, Gusau is for the government to speed up the efforts towards ensuring the rescue of the female students of the institution who are still in captivity,” he said.

According to him, the spate of student abductions in Zamfara State has become of grave concern, and there is a need for enhanced security measures and targeted interventions to protect the lives and well-being of students and restore safety and confidence in the education system.

Pointing out that the university has recorded seven kidnapping incidents from April 2023 to January 2024, Saad added, “The wave of kidnappings targeting schools in Zamfara State has instilled fear and uncertainty among students, parents, and educators, undermining the fundamental right to education and jeopardising the future of an entire generation.”

Also at the event, the Zamfara State Commissioner for Education, Science, and Technology, Wadatau Madawaki, outlined the state government’s commitment to partner with the Federal Government in tackling kidnapping of students and staff in schools, as well as providing a peaceful learning environment.

“Addressing the issue of student abductions in Zamfara State requires a multifaceted approach that combines immediate security measures with long-term strategies to address the root causes of insecurity and promote sustainable peace and stability,” the Commissioner said.

Adedayo, on his part, assured those at the session that the Tinubu administration was committed to ensuring that the remaining abducted female students of the University were rescued in no distant time.

He appealed to their parents to remain calm as the government was not sleeping over the matter.

The session was attended by some secondary and tertiary institution students, principal officers of higher institutions, state government officials, representatives of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), security agencies, and others.

The stakeholders commended the security agencies for their fight against banditry and urged them to double their efforts to end the incidents of kidnapping in schools as the abductions create fear and make learning difficult for students.