7th October, 2016
Oba Cajetan Adekoya of Ibonwon Community in Epe, Lagos, has blamed the abduction of some students and teachers in the town on the neglect of the school by the State Government.
Adekoya, the Oduntan II of Ibonwon, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday that Lagos State Government should immediately provide adequate security in Epe to prevent more of such an ugly incident.
NAN reports that the principal, a teacher and four students of Lagos State Model College, Igbonla, Epe, were abducted at about 8a.m. on Thursday.
“This issue of abduction of innocent children from schools is getting too much; it is time security is beefed up at schools in the outskirts.
“These schools are property of the government and should be taken care of; there should be full presence of security personnel in Epe because of its peculiar nature,” he said.
According to the traditional ruler, the bushy state of the area was a sign of neglect by the authorities which gave the abductors a room to penetrate into the school.
“Innocent children should not be victims of failure of duty by constituted authorities,” he said.
The traditional ruler appealed to the state government to pay attention to Epe, surrounded by water, swamps and bushes.
“The siting of any government property should attract security presence for proper protection, especially as we are surrounded by water and forest,“ he said.
The Lagos State Deputy Governor, Dr Idiat Adebule, who visited the school on Thursday, promised that the government and security agencies would ensure the release of the abducted persons.
She appealed to parents and other members of the public to have confidence in the security agencies, which, she said, would do their possible best to rescue the victims.
“The school was established 29 years ago and something like this has never happened. Now that it has happened, it is so unfortunate and challenging.
“As parents and administrators, we are agitated, traumatised and worried, but we need to join hands with the government and security agencies so that we can rescue the victims.
“Many parents are here to take their children away. That cannot solve the problem. Taking them away will demoralise these children and affect their learning.
Also, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, said on Thursday that two other students of the school were found in the bush during a rescue operation.
Owoseni said that security agencies would ensure that the six missing persons were rescued alive.
NAN also reports that a similar incident occurred on Feb. 29, when three female students of Babington Macaulay Junior Seminary School, Ikorodu, were kidnapped by gunmen.
The three students were later rescued by security operatives.