Abducted Students: Angry Nigerians attack Buhari for visiting farm

President Muhammadu Buhari came under verbal attacks on Twitter Monday following a video showing him visiting his farm in Daura, Katsina State.

The video surfaced online days after a large number of students of Government Boys Science Secondary School in Kankara Local Government Area of the state were kidnapped.

Mr Buhari, who is currently in Katsina, his home state, has not visited the scene of the crime or the parents of the abducted students. He has, however, sent a delegation comprising his service chiefs.

According to Sahara Reporters, an online newspaper that shared the video, it was shot on December 12, 2020.

This was also confirmed to Premium Times by Garba Shehu, the spokesperson of Mr Buhari in a telephone interview.

Mr Shehu told PT correspondent the kidnap incident “had not been made known when Mr Buhari visited his farm.”

It was reported how abductors invaded the school’s premises around 11 p.m. Friday night, while they shot indiscriminately to scare residents.

After the incident, the Governor of Katsina State, Aminu Masari, early Saturday, asked that all boarding secondary schools in the state should be closed.

It is not certain if Mr Buhari, who is Nigeria’s chief security officer, and who was in the state, was immediately briefed about the incident, Friday night or early Saturday.

On Sunday, Nigerians launched a new Twitter hashtag #BringBackOurBoys where social media users attacked the president and called for the removal of security chiefs.

Mr Buhari has also been accused by many lacking empathy even after the killing of 48 farmers in Zabarmari, in Borno State two weeks ago.

The president’s spokesperson, Mr Shehu, explained the video to Premium Times reporter.

“We arrived on Friday evening to Daura. President went to his farm 6:00 a.m. or thereabouts when the report has (had) not broken out.

“So for anyone to now say he has chosen to visit his cow instead of the parents of students is mischief. Let me tell you, we are being careful about one thing. We don’t want politics to divert attention from rescuing these boys. So all this ‘touts’, we will ignore them because the focus is on rescuing these boys.

“By God’s grace, they will be freed and when they are back with their families, we will engage in politics,” he said.

Mr Shehu did not, however, disclose whether Mr Buhari has plans to visit Kankara or not.

Sahara Reporters Publisher, Omoyele Sowore, said it was obvious that Buhari was not competent and it was time for him to go.

“600 Students got kidnapped in Katsina and he ignored them; instead the lifeless President went to visit his cows! The moment we get it that the Buhari regime can’t be redeemed, we will come to the inevitable conclusion that #Buharimustgo,” Sowore tweeted.

Another Twiter user, @TFatombi, tweeted, “Cows with benefits. 600 lives meant nothing to him.”

“Where a man’s treasure is that’s where his heart is,” tweeted @AdemolaAgunbia3.

Another tweet wondered how Nigerians would endure Buhari’s incompetence for the next three years.

@iamscorefield tweeted, “Is this the president you want to rule till 2023? Remember we are still in 2020. We better focus on #BuhariMustResign not #Endsars.”

@Thedarkhorse123 said the recent abduction of schoolboys could be worse than the kidnapping of Chibok girls in 2014 if urgent action is not taken.

“It appears if we don’t do something in the next 24 hours, we may have another Chibok case in our hands. Anytime this happens and is ignored for two to three days the window closes! The state government is saying 300 (are missing) while Garba Shehu is saying 10 students. We are in a mess,” he tweeted.

– Premium Times/Punch