The Nigerian police reportedon Sunday, 20/12/2020, that local guards have rescued dozens of schoolchildren who were kidnapped by gunmen in the state of Katsina, northern Nigeria, after a gun battle. State police spokesman, Gambo Isah, said that gunmen kidnapped about 80 children on Saturday while they were returning to Mahuta village after attending a celebration. The incident came days after the release of 344 students who were kidnapped by gunmen from a boarding school in Kankara in the same state and detained them for six days.

Police said the armed kidnappers in the recent incident also stole 12 cows from the nearby village of Danbaure. The police did not reveal more about the identities of the attackers or their motives, while only describing them as "bandits." It is worth noting that theft and killing of livestock and kidnapping have become a daily reality for the people of northern Nigeria. Armed attacks and kidnappings are widespread in northern Nigeria, where armed men, unknown bandits and gang leaders operating in the area are often accused of perpetrating them. These gangs are professionally stealing cattle and carry out kidnapping in exchange for a ransom, and every time the government denies its submission to what these gangs dictate and their acceptance of paying the ransom, while the crisis ends with the release of some prisoners and the perpetrators escaping from any accountability, trial or punishment until the crisis recurs with all its painful chapters.

Amnesty International says that more than 1,100 people were killed by bandits during the first six months of this year, reflective of the government's failure to provide security and safety and its failure to bring the attackers to justice. At a time when people expect greater security deployment and adopting deterring security policies, the Nigerian government has tended to adopt a security strategy based on stationing forces at certain points in order to preserve their lives and protect them from being captured, which led to the withdrawal of army forces from rural areas that have become more vulnerable to attacks, militants and bandits.

People have been patient with the regime in Nigeria and the corruption that has ravaged state institutions and left them with poverty and left them threatened by famine and malnutrition. They were patient with the state’s neglect of their affairs and the spread of diseases among them. They were patient with the regime’s cheating on them and spreading lies, but how can they be patient over kidnapping and terrorizing their children?!

Ensuring security, spreading reassurance, and maintaining security and safety are among the most basic rights of the people. It is not correct to give the title of a state to a system that did not guarantee for the children the ability to go to their schools without fear of the gangs that mess with their lives under the watchful eyes of the ruling group. The Prophet (saw) said: «مَنْ أَصْبَحَ مِنْكُمْ آمِناً فِي سِرْبِهِ، مُعَافًى فِي جَسَدِهِ، عِنْدَهُ قُوتُ يَوْمِهِ، فَكَأَنَّمَا حِيزَتْ لَهُ الدُّنْيَا»“Whoever among you wakes up physically healthy, feeling safe and secure within himself, with food for the day, it is as if he acquired the whole world.” [Narrated by Al-Bukhari].