The Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) has called on government and security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the safe rescue of students and teachers abducted in Oriire Local Government Area.
The call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of the council’s monthly congress and jointly signed by its Chairman, Akeem Abas, and Secretary, Dayo Adu, on Monday in Ibadan.
The council commended security agencies and government authorities for their efforts so far but urged them to deploy all available resources, intelligence and operational strategies to ensure the safe return of the victims to their families.
It also condemned the rising cases of kidnapping, banditry and other forms of insecurity across the state, calling on governments at all levels to adopt proactive measures to address the situation.
The council further advocated the deployment of adequate security personnel to schools to guarantee the safety of pupils, students, teachers and other education stakeholders.
“We express concern over the seeming difficulty in tracking and apprehending kidnappers and bandits despite the frequent use of social media platforms by these criminal elements to disseminate videos and other materials.
We urge security and intelligence agencies to leverage modern technology and digital intelligence tools to identify, track and prosecute these criminal networks,” the communiqué stated.
The council also reiterated its support for the establishment of state police as a solution to Nigeria’s security challenges.
It called on relevant authorities to fast-track the constitutional and legislative processes required to make state policing a reality.
In addition, the council condemned the practice of subjecting candidates to write the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) late into the night.
According to the communiqué, the development is unsafe, unacceptable and detrimental to the wellbeing of students.
The council urged the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) to review its examination timetable and ensure that candidates do not sit for examinations beyond reasonable hours.
It specifically appealed to the examination body to reschedule any paper that cannot commence and conclude before 4:00 p.m. in the interest of students’ safety and welfare.
The council also advised journalists and media practitioners to uphold professional ethics by verifying information before publication, particularly on sensitive security issues.
Source: NAN
Edited by Deborah Yakub
