YOUTH ARISE MOVEMENT URGES FG TO SAFEGUARD RURAL COMMUNITIES FROM BANDITS, KIDNAPPERS

The Youth Arise Movement has called on the Federal Government to immediately direct security agencies to develop and implement robust measures to protect rural communities from bandits, kidnappers, terrorists, and other criminal groups operating across the country.

In a statement issued on Sunday in Abuja and signed by its Convener, Comrade Ademola Babatunde, the group expressed concern over the worsening security situation in Nigeria and urged President Bola Tinubu and relevant authorities to take decisive steps to safeguard lives and property.

According to the group, Nigerians have endured more than a decade of persistent attacks that have left thousands dead, displaced, kidnapped, or exposed to severe hardship. It noted that communities, businesses, schools, and places of worship have continued to suffer the consequences of violence.

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Babatunde highlighted rural communities as particularly vulnerable due to inadequate security presence and limited protection mechanisms, making them frequent targets of criminal attacks. He called for stronger collaboration among the Department of State Services, the Armed Forces, the Nigeria Police Force, and other stakeholders to address the security crisis.

The group also expressed concern over increasing attacks on schools, students, and teachers, warning that such incidents threaten the nation’s future and development. It urged governments at all levels to ensure that security and development funds are transparently utilized to protect communities, educational institutions, farms, and critical infrastructure.

Emphasizing that the protection of lives remains the government’s primary responsibility, Babatunde advocated for enhanced intelligence gathering, stronger community-based security initiatives, and closer cooperation between security agencies and local residents.

The movement further warned that prolonged insecurity could undermine democratic governance, stressing that a nation facing constant security threats cannot fully benefit from democracy and development. It called on the President, the Federal Executive Council, and the National Assembly to place national security above political interests.

The appeal comes amid a fresh wave of attacks on rural communities, including the recent destruction of classrooms and a staff office at Government Day Secondary School in Kautikari Village, Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, by suspected Boko Haram insurgents. The incident has renewed concerns over the continued vulnerability of rural schools to terrorist attacks.