Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has invited all Senators in the country to a dinner scheduled for Friday.
The development was announced by Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, on the floor of the Senate.
He went on to wish the Senators a “sumptuous meal” at the gathering, noting that “we will all meet there on Friday”.
The dinner meeting comes amid widespread grief in parts of the country due to kidnappings and killings perpetrated by bandits.
This newspaper had reported that a parent of some of the abducted schoolchildren at St. Mary School in Niger State is dead.
This was made known by Rev. John Hayab, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Northern Region & Federal Capital Territory, who noted that the parent died of a heart attack.
“One Of the Parent’s of the Abducted Children from the School, Died Yesterday of a Heart-attack,” he said while speaking on AriseTv on Tuesday.
“Mr Anthony died of a heart attack following the abduction of his 3 children.”
“People don’t understand that when you tell it as it is, you’re not speaking against anybody, you are only trying to state the problem.”
“The pains, the trauma, are still very fresh. We tried speaking to the parents today, and they were scared of speaking to us.”
Earlier, this newspaper reported that fifty pupils abducted from St. Mary’s Private Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools, Papiri, Niger State, reportedly escaped and reunited with their parents, according to the school authorities on Sunday.
The escape occurred just days after terrorists attacked the school and abducted a total of 303 pupils and students.
The pupils fled between Friday and Saturday but could not return to the school after escaping. The school administration confirmed their safe return by contacting and visiting the parents of the rescued pupils.
According to Most Rev. Bulus Dauwa Yohanna, Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Niger State chapter, Proprietor of the school, and Catholic Bishop of Kontagora Diocese, “as much as we receive the return of these 50 children that escaped with some sigh of relief, I urge you all to continue in your prayers for the rescue and safe return of the remaining victims.”
The update was signed electronically by Daniel Atori, Media Aide to the Bishop, Most Rev. Yohanna.
“For the records, we now have 251 primary pupils, 14 secondary students and 12 teachers still with their abductors,” the statement said.
“In the primary section, out of the total number of 430 pupils we have in the school, 377 of them are boarders and the remaining 53 others are non-boarders.
“Currently, aside the 50 pupils that escaped and have returned home, we have 141 pupils who were not carried away. As it stands now, we have 236 pupils, another 3 children who belong to our staff, 14 secondary students making a total 253 children including 12 members of staff with the abductors.”
There have also been kidnappings in various places including Kwara, Kebbi, and Borno, developments that have caused devastation and anger among Nigerians.
Source: Saharareporter
