The National Association Of Nigerian Students has hit on Benue State Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia over his continuous Silence on the students of Federal University Of Agriculture, Makurdi Now JOSTUM.
9News Nigeria recalls that,on the 25th of February,2025 at around 7:00PM three (3) female students of the institution were kidnapped on campus by Gunmen.Since then,the Benue Governor has not issued an official statement to that effect.
It what has angered the NANS; there was a press release yesterday regarding the Benue State judiciary,where they moved most of their cases as a result of insecurity and renovation in the State but without hesitation the governor issued a press release stating categorically that security was beefed around the court premises.
However NANS has challenged the governor’s lackadaisical attitude in ensuring the safe return of the kidnapped JOSTUM students.
NANS Statement reads:
Gentlemen of the Press,
Recall that the Executive Governor of Benue State, His Excellency, Dr Hyacinth Alia, through his Chief Press Secretary, Tersoo Kula issued directives yesterday being 4th March, 2025, prohibiting movements around court premises. These directives received the full force of the law apparently because of his position as the Chief Security Officer of the State, charged with the responsibility of protecting the lives and property of the citizens.
One marvels at the speed with which the governor issued those directives with the attendant deployment of security details to enforce same, but the same governor has maintained a graveyard silence over the kidnapped students of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Markudi. NANS, Benue State Axis, is therefore, compelled to interrogate the sensibility of issuing loud directives on court premises in the state where, to the glory of God, no life has been lost nor missing with regard to the recent judicial imbroglio; and maintaining deafening silence over the kidnapping of three students and the subsequent shutting down of the university, leading to palpable fears and the disruption of the school calendar.
NANS humbly advises Governor Fr. Hyacinth Iormem Alia to soft-pedal on emergency invasion of sands around the premisses of perceived political adversaries and beam a searchlight on the marauding herdsmen terrorizing farms, raping women, destroying things in wanton proportion and trudging around campuses in braggadocios “who can question us?”
Three students were kidnapped on the 25th February, 2025, around 7pm within the campus of Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Markudi. Since then, the governor has not deemed fit to release any press statement directing the security details to expedite actions to free the victims and restore normalcy. To worsen the situation, the Commissioner of Education and Knowledge Management and the PSA on Student Engagement have not released any statements nor visited the school management and the student community to condole with them.
Following the kidnapping incident, Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, Markudi, has been shut down indefinitely. By implication, about 8 thousand students have gone home to meet their parents whose fate hang between perilous “What next?” and doggone conspiratorial silence from those constitutionally muscled to guarantee their safety.
NANS wishes to inform the government of Benue State that education is a right as much as the security of the students. Therefore, let there be less of politicking and more of governance as the Benue people, especially the Nigerian students, have high expectations from the administration of Dr Hyacinth Alia, who supposedly should enthrone Heavenocracy; the government of the saint, by the saint and for the people. We look forward to experiencing “When the righteous is on the throne, the people rejoice” in the administration of Rv Hyacinth Alia!
NANS hereby give the government of Benue State 48 hours to issue a strong statement on the kidnapped students, direct the security details to be heavy on the investigation and reach out to the management of JOSTUM and the parents of the victims. Failure to do this would leave us with no option than to deploy all Aluta forces in their fullest breath to press home our demands!
Aluta Continua!
