Frontline Presidential aspirant under the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has lamented the recent attacks and kidnappings of students from two schools in Borno and Oyo States, calling them threats to Nigeria’s future and a disincentive to go to school that worsens the nation’s out-of-school crisis.
Reacting to the recent attacks in Borno and Oyo States where gunmen abducted students from Mussa Primary/Junior Secondary School in Askira/Uba Local Government Area (LGA) and from schools in Ahoro-Esinele, Oriire LGA, killing a teacher and seizing the principal in the latter incident, Obi said via a post on his official X account on Saturday that the kidnappings has become part of a growing “ransom economy” that endangers children’s right to education and disproportionately affects girls who often drop out permanently due to fear.
Obi wrote: “Sad: Schoolchildren Now ‘Pawns in Ransom Economy’: There is nothing more heartbreaking for a nation than an inability to protect its children. The recent attacks and kidnappings of students from two schools in Mussa Village, Askira/Uba LGA, Borno State (North-East) and Ahoro-Esinele community, Oriire Local Government Area, Oyo State (South-West)—mark a grave crisis that threatens the future of the nation.
“Beyond the immediate terror of these acts, they represent a significant infringement on the basic right to education and a safe upbringing. The fear of further abduction often leads children, especially girls to permanently leave school.”
Stating that the ongoing “out-of-school” crisis is already alarming in itself and it is likely to worsen due to these distressing incidents, Obi argued that in areas frequently affected by such attacks, education systems often deteriorate while fear becomes a substantial obstacle to school enrollment, adding to the already high number of children currently not attending school.
The former Governor of Anambra State pointed out that ensuring the safety of schools is not just a logistical issue; it is a moral obligation.
Obi has, therefore, urged prioritising school safety through community intelligence, fortified facilities, and accountable justice systems as a moral imperative for building a safer, better Nigeria focused on children’s wellbeing.
“Protecting the next generation demands a blend of community-led intelligence, the physical strengthening of educational facilities, and a transparent justice system that holds wrongdoers accountable,” he stated.
“For the actualisation of a new Nigeria that is POssible, we must make the safety, education, and wellbeing of our children a priority.”