A security, intelligence and investigation expert, Yahuza Getso, has blamed the attack by bandits on the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga, Kebbi State, on the failure of the authorities to act on intelligence.
Getso said the inaction by the authorities to act on intelligence provided before the attack that led to the abduction of 26 schoolgirls was an act of sabotage.
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Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief on Wednesday, he said, “Let me tell you, the incident that happened in Kebbi is a total compromise.
“It’s total negligence. It’s a total sabotage against the state because I, who I’m talking to you, have provided information about insinuations that some local governments are at risk of a serious attack by bandits.
“I have sent information to the highest level of authority, to the highest level of intelligence, to the highest level of operational team within the circle of the state of Kebbi, and that of, sorry, and that of Niger, and to the hierarchy at Abuja, and to the hierarchy at certain levels.
“But yet, after three hours, I still follow up: ‘These guys are still coordinating themselves. These guys are within so, so, so location.’
“And if at all, it is confirmed information: there was also the presence of a military or whatever security within the school, but they left. After they left, within a short period of time, the bandits came in.”
Calls To Military Hierarchy
Getso also claimed that he made several calls to the military hierarchies during the attack without a response.
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This, he said, does not help to build the confidence and trust of Nigerians in the government.
“And even while the attack was going on, I made several calls to the hierarchies. If the hierarchies are watching me, they know; they know I made several calls when the bandits were conducting the activity,” he stated.
“But nobody responded to my call up till now that I’m talking to you, asking: ‘Why are you calling at this hour?’
“And they know whenever I’m calling them at such times, odd times, there must be something very serious.
“So, how do you build the confidence and trust of Nigerians that the government is serious? It’s an absolute system failure. We have the problem. We have the solution, but we intentionally refused to direct our eyes to the solution,” he added.
He also said 99.9 per cent of the bandits operating in Nigeria are Nigerians.
Inaction By Authorities ‘Deliberate’
Asked whether the inaction of the authorities on the intelligence he provided was deliberate, Getso said, “Well, as far as I’m concerned, it is deliberate because refusal to take my intelligence is a deliberate action. Ordinarily, there are distress call numbers that have been sent around by DSS, by police, by military, and so on and so forth.
“Those numbers, anybody who called and provided intelligence, if not being utilised immediately, is a deliberate negligence, is a deliberate sabotage.”
The attack on the Kebbi school claimed the life of the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, who was reportedly killed while trying to prevent the bandits from taking the girls away.
The police had said on Monday that a combined tactical team were deployed to comb the forest in a bid to rescue the girls.
President Bola Tinubu condemned the attack and commiserated with the families of those affected.
Meanwhile, Vice President Kashim Shettima is expected to visit the area on Wednesday.
