By M.T Peter, Jos
Following the reported abduction of a native of Plateau state among the aid workers kidnapped in Borno state, the member representing Mangu/Bokkos federal constituency in the National Assembly, Mr. Solomon Maren has called security agencies to take steps to rescue the abducted persons.
Maren said one of the abducted aid workers identified as Jennifer Ukambong Samuel, is from his constituency.
He said that in October this year, two youths from his constituency, Lawrence Dacighir and Godfrey Shikagham, both carpenters from Mangu local government area, working with an international NGO were publicly executed in a widely circulated video.
“I am pained that for the third time in three months, my innocent constituents have been abducted by Boko Haram in Borno state. These are harmless citizens who by reason of their professional callings have found themselves working in the troubled northeast region, providing humanitarian help to victims of insurgency.”
“Mr. Lawrence Duna Dacighir and Godfrey Ali Shikagham, both carpenters from Mangu LGA, working with an international NGO were publicly executed in a widely circulated video in October 2019. The entire Mangu-Bokkos constituency is yet to recover from the experience. Now we hear of the abduction of Miss Jennifer Ukambong Samuel, a medical Aid worker with Alliance for International Medical Action.”
The aid worker, Jennifer Ukambong Samuel, a native of Plateau abducted by Boko Haram
“Jennifer, an orphaned indigene of Bokkos LGA, was kidnapped along with several others in a brutal ambush along Monguno-Maiduguri road on Sunday, 22nd December, 2019, the day she was marking the 21st remembrance of her dear father’s demise. This came as a brutal shock to us, and as a representative of the peaceful people of this constituency, my heart bleeds. This is particularly so as reports say another indigene of Bokkos was three weeks ago kidnapped by the same insurgents in the northeast, yet nothing has been done by the Authorities concerned.”
“While we must not allow things that have happened to drag us back, we must consciously study past events and current trends with a view to identifying lapses for more result-oriented decisions. These abductions among many instances of insecurity in our nation show the extent to which the terrorists have grown, all owing to the laxity of government and other concerned parties to do the needful.
“The Executive in whose hands lies the power to deploy troops and/or facilitate rescue and other security missions must be active beyond words. Let us deploy the right military personnel with the right mindset, the right welfare and the right equipment. We cannot be budgeting huge chunks of money to national security and still be losing citizens on daily basis.”
Maren called on the christian community on Plateau to use the festive period to pray for the release of Jennifer and others in Boko Haram captivity.
