Investigate Matawalle to reveal abductors of schoolgirls: ACF to security agencies

By ABDULGAFAR ALABELEWE, Kaduna

Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF), has called on the security agencies to investigate Zamfara State Governor, Bello Matawalle and make him reveal the identity of those behind the abduction of the 317 Jangebe school girls.

The apex northern socio-cultural stated that, failure of Governor Matawalle to name the abductors of the school girls, he should be treated as accomplice to the criminal act of kidnapping.

Governor Matawalle was quoted to have told 17 Emirs who paid a sympathy visit to him on the kidnap of 317 school girls, that he knew the identity of the kidnappers and if he revealed their identity, Nigerians will be shocked.

ACF in a statement issued on Tuesday by its National Chairman and former Minister of Agriculture, Chief Audu Ogbe said, Governor Mutawalle must stop embarrassing the north and country with careless statements on a serious issue like the kidnappings of school children.

According to Ogbe, “The Arewa Consultative Forum ACF is stunned by a statement credited to the Zamfara state Governor, Bello Mutawalle.

“The governor is reported in the media to have told 17 Emirs who paid a sympathy visit to him on the kidnap of 317 school girls from Government Girls Secondary School Jangebe in Talata Mafara that he knew the identity of the kidnappers and if he revealed their identity, Nigerians will be shocked.

“We ask the governor to reveal their identity and let Nigerians be shocked or even the heavens fall.

“We also ask the security agencies to question the governor on the identifies of criminals he is trying to hide. If he refuses to disclose their identities, he must be treated as an accomplice to the criminal act of kidnapping.

“The ACF has been embarrassed by the spate of kidnappings especially of school children spreading like wild fire all over the north.

“People in positions of authority that will help us out of this mess like Governor Mutawalle must stop embarrassing the north and country with careless statements on a serious issue like the kidnappings of school children.

“Zamfara State and the north are way behind the rest of the country in educational development. The serial kidnappings of school pupils in the north will only worsen a bad and unacceptable state of education in the North,” ACF Chairman said. (The Nation)