Following the kidnapping of female students at the Federal University in Gusau, Zamfara State, the call was made.
The forum's spokesperson, Professor Tukur Muhammad Baba, said in a statement released in Kaduna on Sunday: "It is with utter consternation that the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) received news about the abduction of mostly female Federal University Gusau (FUGUS) students from their private hostels at Sabon Gida Village, Bungudu Local Government Area of Zamfara State."
The attack was well-planned, coordinated, and carried out by bandits and terrorists, according to personal testimonials from witnesses, according to ACF, despite the fact that there is little official information regarding the incident.
According to the statement, female students were the intended targets, and despite the efforts of Nigerian Army troops, the bandits still managed to escape with an undetermined number of helpless victims.
ACF strongly denounced the kidnappings and urged the federal government to use all available means to secure the return of the students without incident.
The forum asked the Federal Government to overhaul Nigeria's security framework and develop fresh, multifaceted containment methods for the security and related existential concerns that afflict schools and, in fact, all communities.
Such new tactics, according to ACF, should aim to completely eradicate the plague of terrorism and banditry nationwide.