By Moses Okorie
365Daily – As outcry continues to rage over the murder of a five year old pupil, Hanifa Abubakar who was abducted and subsequently killed by her teacher in Kano, the National Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, has added it voice in condemning the dastardly act, and also called that the perpetrators be brought to book.
National President, NAWOJ, Ladi Bala, stated this in a press statement she personally signed and made available to 365Daily in Abuja on Saturday, January 22, 2022.
She said the kidnap and eventual gruesome murder of five year old-Hanifa Abubakar by her teacher after collecting ransom of six million naira from her parent, is one of the most horrific, barbaric and inhuman evil acts of wickedness recorded in recent times.
Her words, “The killing of the innocent Nigerian child by the proprietor of her school, smirks of gross betrayal of trust which the little girl and her parent reposed in the institution and the proprietor.
“This is as NAWOJ notes the increase in cases of killings for money and ritual purposes has assumed a frightening dimension thus, making life unsafe for Nigerians.
“Killings, kidnappings, sexual and gender based violence are taking severe toll on women and girls, who are the soft targets of evil perpetrators.
“The case of Aisha Umar, an IDP, who was lured and raped by an Humanitarian provider that led her to committing suicide in Maiduguri, Borno State as she could not stand the trauma and the brutal murder of the son of a Gender activist, Madam Ene Ede in Abuja recently by yet to be identified murderers, to mention but a few, are all indicators that all is not well in our dear country.
“As mothers, we aver with pains that this is no longer the Nigeria we grew up to know where the care for the younger generation was the responsibility of all adults and the community as a whole.
“As mothers, we appeal to Nigerians to be more vigilant, security conscious as well as report suspicious characters to security agencies.
“NGOs and CSOs must speak out against these evil acts and demand justice for victims of ritual killings and sexual abuse in Nigeria”, NAWOJ queried.