As the authorities of the Nigeria Army and Governor Ibrahim Geidam of Yobe engages in controversy over the alleged withdrawal of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole shortly before the recent abduction of over 100 students of Government Girls Science College, Dapchi, Yobe, Osun State governor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola on Tuesday described perpetrators of the kidnap as cowards individuals.

This was just as he implored Nigerians, regardless of political, religious and ethnic backgrounds to intensify prayers for the timely release of the female students from the captivity of their abductors.

Aregbesola, who spoke at a 2-day conference of Osun Officials’ Wives Association (OSUNWA) hosted by his wife, Mrs Sherifat Aregbesola said “I want to use this opportunity of this gathering being a gathering of mostly women to ask that we all stand up and pray for the safe return of some girls that are supposed to be in schools that were kidnapped by some criminals in the Northern  part of our country”.

He asserted, “don’t fail to let your conference address the issue of those cowards who adopted our girls, tell them in your resolutions that if they are not cowards they should stop denying innocent girls their freedom, but face soldiers who are in the region for peacekeeping”.‎

While calling on the people to pray fervently for the freedom of the students, Aregbesola maintained that “let us pray for the safety of the girls and their return, we should all as women and Nigerians  pray to God to touch the heart of the criminals to hasten the release of those innocent girls and those with same experience‎”.

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He further deplored rampant cases of kidnap in the country, contending that women should teach their children how to protect and defend their country, saying “as women, you should use your definely inspired position to change the world for good. Nigeria is not what it should today because women are not playing their roles.

In her remark, the wife of the Vice President, Mrs. Dolapo Osinbajo, who spoke  on the theme: “Virtuous Woman – Pushing for Greater Development”, charged women to examine their roles in various homes, adding that it was incumbent on them to go back to their cultural heritage and teach their children moral education, with a view to curbing social vices.

The chairperson of Osun Officials’ Wives Association and wife of the Governor, Mrs. Sherifat Aregbesola, explained that the forum was to further retool government officials wives with emerging knowledge about various aspects of life, pointing out that “we are of the firm belief that this association is well placed to mobilize all-round women development in our state. The members have the capacity to carry out vital intervention in development programmes and projects.

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