After gunmen kidnapped students and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, in yet another attack on educational facilities, former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi accused President Bola Tinubu of neglecting to protect Nigerian schools.
Mr. Amaechi cited the recent kidnapping of schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State, while describing the act as part of a growing pattern of mass kidnappings. Recurrent attacks on schools, farms, roads, and places of worship, he said, demonstrate that insecurity has become “systemic, national, and urgent.”
Following President Donald Trump’s placement of Nigeria on a list of Countries of Particular Concern and his threat of military action for claimed Christian genocide, a team from Nigeria led by National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu met with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last week.
Mr. Amaechi criticized the government in a Facebook statement for what he described as a concerning mismatch between domestic insecurity and foreign policy ambitions.
“International cooperation is important, but making statements after the fact is insufficient when children are being kidnapped from schools.”
He pointed out that at the time of the assaults in Niger and Kebbi, important security officials, such as the Minister of Defence, NSA, Inspector-General of Police, and Chief of Defence Staff, were abroad.
“Visible, coordinated, decisive, and proactive action is what Nigerians want to see,” he continued. “It must be his turn to protect if it was his turn to lead.”
Mr. Amaechi cited Tinubu’s 2022 proclamation, “Emi lo kan” (“It is my turn”), and charged the president with neglecting the duties that come with authority.
“Nigerian children should be protected if it is anyone’s turn. It is impossible to divorce the obligation to protect from the right to lead.
Mr. Amaechi, a 2027 presidential candidate and current member of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), claimed that such mass kidnappings jeopardize the public’s remaining faith in the federal administration.
Nigeria is the country with the most out-of-school children worldwide.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria has the biggest number of out-of-school children globally, with over 18 million. Of these, 8.1 million are in junior secondary school and 10.2 million are in primary school.
According to Mr. Amaechi, frequent attacks on schools run the risk of making the situation worse forever.
“Schooling becomes a risk rather than a right when kids are removed from classrooms. These tragedies harm not just education today but also the workforce, economy, and peace of tomorrow.
The Safe Schools Declaration, which Nigeria adopted in 2018 to shield schools from armed assaults, was criticized by Mr. Amaechi. He pointed out that under the current administration, the N16 billion allotted in 2022 has not produced any discernible results.
“We cannot abandon a vital national structure intended to protect schools and still claim to be serious about doing so.”
In a similar vein, experts have cited uneven budget releases, inadequate interagency cooperation, and poor implementation.
“Security is economic stability, not just firearms.”
Mr. Amaechi connected widespread poverty and a lack of prospects for employment to insecurity in addition to operational shortcomings.
“People will create illegal sources of income if they are unable to earn a lawful one. Opportunity, dignity, and faith in the government are all important aspects of security.
He called the National Council of State an essential constitutional mechanism in times of national crisis and encouraged President Tinubu to bring it into session.
“When will we use such an instrument if we don’t now?”
Growing fear and criticism
Ten years of widespread school kidnappings, which started with the Chibok event in 2014, have been completed with the most recent abduction. Some victims are still unaccounted for, while others have been saved or freed.
President Tinubu is under increasing public pressure as similarities between his administration and those of his predecessors, Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan, both of whom experienced harsh public criticism due to insecurity.
Political adversaries, such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have also called for the president to step down.
Ita Awak, a former APC spokeswoman and aviation regulator, had earlier publicly apologized to former President Jonathan for branding him “clueless,” claiming that insecurity under Tinubu is now “worse.”
Looking back: Buhari’s insecurity
When former President Muhammadu Buhari took office in 2015, he pledged to combat corruption and reestablish security. Many Nigerians anticipated that his military experience would improve the country’s defense.
Rather, insecurity increased. ICIR’s analysis of data from the Nigeria Security Tracker shows that between May 2015 and April 2023, non-state actors killed about 31,821 individuals. Over 5,200 Nigerians were kidnapped in 2021 alone, surpassing the total number of kidnappings from 2014 to 2019.
Banditry, insurrection, kidnappings for ransom, and fatal conflicts between farmers and herders were all part of the wave of widespread violence. The murder of over 100 rice farmers in Koshebe, Borno State, in November 2020 is a striking example, according to HumAngle.
Travel became dangerous, schools and farms closed, and public confidence in the ability of the government declined.
After the Abuja–Kaduna train incident, Amaechi said, “We would have saved lives.”
Since his tenure in Buhari’s government, Mr. Amaechi has been frustrated by structural shortcomings. He was upset that a planned surveillance system was delayed following the March 28, 2022, Abuja-Kaduna train incident.
“The procedure of obtaining the comprehensive security surveillance and monitoring system has been tiresome; I am upset and honestly don’t know what to tell Nigerians anymore. We may have saved lives if the procedures had been streamlined, according to PREMIUM TIMES.
“We were aware of the issue… You would see someone on that track if we had such equipment. Our losses have cost us more than N3 billion. All we asked for was permission.
“If these items were here,” he continued. Drones would have alerted you to the presence of persons in this area. In addition to drones, we also require helicopters.
The presidency reacts
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga stated that Mr. Amaechi’s recommendations were helpful and would be taken into consideration when contacted.
“I am confident that the Federal Government will give them immediate consideration.”
He refuted Mr. Amaechi’s assertion that important security figures were not present during the most recent kidnappings, though.
“The DG of DSS is present and has been briefing the Commander-in-Chief. There, the Chief of Army Staff is mobilizing soldiers. Following Trump’s military threats, those who were not in the nation went on yet another important mission in the United States.
“To get our kidnapped children released, the NSA has been in contact with security officials on the ground,” Mr. Onanuga stated.
