The Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, HURIWA, on Friday blamed the Zamfara State government for the abduction of schoolgirls by bandits.

HURIWA said the Zamfara State government should be blamed for allegedly tolerating hostage-taking.

Bandits had abducted about 300 female students of Government Girls’ Secondary School, Jangebe in Talata-Mafara Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

Confirming the kidnap, the Zamfara State Commissioner of Security and Home Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Dauran said the incident occurred at about 2am on Friday.

Reacting, the rights advocacy group urged parents to withdraw their children from schools until both the federal and state government can ensure security around schools.

HURIWA said this in a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko.

According to HURIWA: “The kidnapping of schoolgirls in Jangabe in Zamfara State appears increasingly like it is a clear act of state-sponsored terrorism and an act of hostage-taking tolerated by the state administration.

“Otherwise, why has the Zamfara State House of Assembly done nothing to stamp out the emerging trend of kidnapping of students by adopting the harshest legal punishment for such act of terrorism?

“The governor has been quoted in the media of supporting negotiation with bandits and is known or quoted by the media as stating that not all bandits are criminals when the reality shows that all armed bandits are not just criminals but are indeed terrorists and therefore must never be rebranded by these state governors of the North.

“Indeed, we are advocating that parents should withdraw their children from schools until such a time that the federal and state administration’s all over Nigeria can guarantee 24/7 security of lives and property of all educational institutions, especially those located deep inside Northern Nigeria.”