After gunmen kidnapped students and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, in yet another assault on educational facilities, former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi accused President Bola Tinubu of failing to protect Nigerian schools.
Mr. Amaechi cited the recent kidnapping of schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State, to describe the crime as a part of a growing pattern of mass kidnappings. Attacks on schools, farms, roadways, and places of worship have become “systemic, national, and urgent,” he said.
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 delegation from Nigeria, led by National Security Advisor Nuhu Ribadu, met with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last week.
Mr. Amaechi chastised the administration in a Facebook statement for what he saw as a concerning mismatch between domestic insecurity and foreign policy ambitions.
“International cooperation is crucial, 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 Chief of Defense Staff, Inspector-General of Police, NSA, and Minister of Defense, were abroad.
He went on, “Nigerians want to see visible, coordinated, decisive, and proactive action.” “If it was his turn to take the lead, it must be his turn to defend.”
Mr. Amaechi cited Tinubu’s 2022 proclamation, “Emi lo kan” (“It is my turn”), accusing the president of neglecting the duties that come with authority.
“Nigerian children must be protected if it is anyone’s turn. The obligation to protect and the right to lead are inextricably linked.
Mr. Amaechi, who is currently a candidate for president in 2027 and a member of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), claimed that the public’s remaining faith in the federal administration is threatened by ongoing mass abductions.
Nigeria has more out-of-school children than any other country.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria has more than 18 million children who are not in school, the greatest number in the world. 10.2 million of them are in elementary school, while 8.1 million are in junior secondary.
According to Mr. Amaechi, persistent attacks on schools run the risk of making the situation worse indefinitely.
“Schooling becomes a risk, not a right, when kids are removed from classrooms. In addition to harming education today, these tragedies also harm the workforce, economy, and peace of the future.
Mr. Amaechi expressed disapproval of the way the Safe Schools Declaration, which Nigeria adopted in 2018 to prevent armed attacks on schools, was handled. He pointed out that the N16 billion allotted in 2022 has not had any discernible effect under the current administration.
“We cannot claim to be serious about safeguarding schools while dismantling a vital national framework that was created to do just that.”
In a similar vein, experts have highlighted uneven budget releases, inadequate interagency cooperation, and poor execution.
“Economic stability is more important for security than firearms.”
Beyond operational shortcomings, Mr. Amaechi connected insecurity to pervasive poverty and a dearth of prospects for employment.
“People will create illegal sources of income if they are unable to make lawful ones. Security is about opportunity, dignity, and faith in the government, not just about operations.
He called on President Tinubu to call a meeting of the National Council of State, citing it as an essential constitutional tool at times of national crises.
“When will we employ such an instrument if we don’t now?”
Growing criticism and growing anxiety
Since the Chibok episode in 2014, there have been ten mass school kidnappings. The most recent abduction is just the latest. Some victims have been freed or saved, but others are still unaccounted for.
As similarities between President Tinubu’s administration and that of his predecessors, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, both of whom experienced intense public backlash due to insecurity, public pressure is growing.
Atiku Abubakar, the former vice president, and other political adversaries 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 referring to him as “clueless,” claiming that insecurity under Tinubu is now “worse.”
Looking back: insecurity during Buhari’s rule
Muhammadu Buhari, the former president, promised to combat corruption and reestablish security when he took office in 2015. His military experience was expected by many Nigerians to improve the country’s defense.
Rather, it became more insecure. Between May 2015 and April 2023, non-state actors killed almost 31,821 persons, according to ICIR’s analysis of data from the Nigeria Security Tracker. Over 5,200 Nigerians were kidnapped in 2021 alone, surpassing the entire number of kidnappings between 2014 and 2019.
Banditry, insurrection, kidnappings for ransom, and fatal farmer-herder conflicts were all part of the wave of widespread violence. HumAngle reported that around 100 rice farmers were killed in Koshebe, Borno State, in November 2020.
Farmers and schools closed, travel became dangerous, and public trust in the ability of the government declined.
“We would have saved lives,” Amaechi said during the train attack in Abuja and Kaduna.
Mr. Amaechi’s dissatisfaction with structural shortcomings stems from his tenure in Buhari’s government. Following the March 28, 2022, Abuja–Kaduna train incident, he was upset over the delay of a planned surveillance system.
“The process of obtaining the integrated security surveillance and monitoring solution has been arduous; I am devastated and honestly don’t know what to tell Nigerians anymore.” We would have saved lives if the procedures had been shortened, according to PREMIUM TIMES.
“We anticipated the issue… Anyone on that track would be there if we had that equipment. Over N3 billion has been spent on what we have lost. We merely requested approval.
He went on, “If these things were here… Drones would have alerted you that individuals were moving around. In addition to drones, helicopters are also necessary.
The White House reacts
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga stated that Mr. Amaechi’s recommendations were helpful and will be taken into consideration when contacted.
“I have no doubt that the Federal Government will give them immediate consideration.”
He refuted Mr. Amaechi’s assertion that important security officials were not present during the most recent kidnappings, though.
The Commander-in-Chief is present, and he has been briefed by the DG of DSS. Rallying troops is the Chief of Army Staff. In response to Trump’s military threats, those who were not in the nation went on yet another important job in the US.
Mr. Onanuga stated, “The NSA has been in contact with security officials on the ground to get our kidnapped children released.”
