The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), has come under fire on social media for appealing to bandits to release the abducted students of Greenfield University, five of whom have already been killed.
Buhari had while reacting to the release of 29 students of the Federal College of Forestry Mechanisation, said, “I again appeal for the release of the students of Greenfield University and all other citizens held in captivity.
“We will leave no stone unturned in ensuring that Nigerians live in a country where everyone can move where and when they want—without the fear of kidnapping and banditry.”
The comment section of the President’s tweet was, however, disabled.
But many on Twitter wondered why the President would appeal to bandits who ought to be arrested and prosecuted.
Columnist, Gimba Kakanda, tweeted, “Appeal? You have army, navy, air force, police, civil defence, DSS and many other resources at your disposal, dear sir. You don’t appeal, you act. You are the C-in-C, not some motivational speaker.”
Analyst, Bulama Bukarti, also faulted the President’s plea, saying, “Is ‘appeal’ to brutal criminals the call of the C-in-C? Are the culprits, who can’t read and write, on Twitter? Do they speak English?”
Franklin Adebayo Adimchinobi tweeted, “Even GEJ didn’t appeal to kidnappers but here is Major General Buhari (rtd) doing the unthinkable. The lie they sold Nigerians. Buhari will handle security while oga pasito will handle economy. Security we no see, economy sef no gree show face (sic).”
A tweep, Koko Udofia, said it was funny that Buhari could deploy soldiers in the South-East but appeal to bandits.
@koksieDe41 tweeted, “It is only a President like Buhari that’ll send the military to the South-East to pursue peaceful protesters then turn around to ‘appeal’ to armed terrorists and kidnappers to do what’s right.”
At least 800 students including those attending higher institutions have been abducted in coordinated attacks on schools in mostly northern states in the last six months.
