President Bola Tinubu has vowed to tackle the recent spate of kidnapping and bandit attacks in the country with massive education.
Tinubu who condemned the attacks, described it as disturbing, ungodly, and sinister.
The President made this promise when he received a delegation of Jam’iyyatu Ansaridden, an Islamic Movement, at the State House, in Abuja on Tuesday.
This was contained in a statement by his Special Adviser to the President Chief Ajuri Ngelale on Tuesday.
This is coming following several reports of kidnapping across the country.
Recently, a young lady identified as Najeebah has been reportedly killed by gunmen who abducted her and five other sisters in Abuja.
Najeebah and her sisters were abducted on January 9, alongside their father.
The gunmen later released their father, asking him to go get N60m as ransom for the release of her daughters before Friday, January 12.
But gunmen killed her and sent her corpse to her parents before after failing to raise the demanded ransom.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force said it is intensifying plans to rescue the victims.
The force also assured Nigerians that plans are ongoing to prevent further kidnapping cases across the country.
Tinubu said while security agencies are acting with dispatch to immediately address the current challenge, all required resources, policies and plans will be rolled out soon for the massive education of Nigerian youths.
He noted that education is the antidote to the troubles agitating the nation, adding the weapon of poverty is education.
“There is no weapon against poverty that is as potent as learning.
I can assure you that we are here to change the life of our people. We are here to promote peace, stability, and economic prosperity.
“We are dedicated to building a lasting peace with a focus on the comprehensive education of our children. We will get our teachers and their owners involved in an education process that will be relevant to the future of this country. It is important. Knowledge brought me here with your prayers and your support. Without knowledge, there is nothing to generate hope for mankind,” He said.
He further stressed that it was important to promote updated knowledge through existing Islamic learning institutions for youths in Northern Nigeria to speed up development in the region, in Nigeria, and throughout Africa.
“Please embark on special prayers. Embark on proper education for our youths. Kidnapping and banditry are not the way of God. Shedding each other’s blood is bad. And there can be no development without peace. It is only in the area of peace that we can eliminate poverty. We must work for peace in order for our economy to grow better,” the President concluded.
On his part, the Jam’iyyatu Ansaridden leader, Muhammad Lamine Niass urged Tinubu to continue implementing his reform initiatives.
Niass affirmed that his movement, which is reputed for its promotion of peace and tolerance, would continue to pray for Nigeria’s peaceful development.
