Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has condemned the recent attacks and kidnappings of schoolchildren in parts of Borno and Oyo states, describing the trend as a worsening threat to Nigeria’s education system and national future.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Obi said the abduction of students from schools in Mussa Village, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, and Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State reflected a deepening insecurity crisis.
“Sad: Schoolchildren Now ‘Pawns in Ransom Economy’ There is nothing more heartbreaking for a nation than an inability to protect its children,” he said.
Obi warned that the repeated targeting of schools represents not only a security failure but also a direct attack on the right of children to education, noting that fear of abduction is already pushing many children, particularly girls, out of school.
He said, “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.”
He warned that fear of abduction is already discouraging school attendance, particularly among girls, and worsening Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis.
“The fear of further abduction often leads children—especially girls—to permanently leave school,” he said, adding that insecurity is becoming a major obstacle to education in affected areas.
Obi further stated that communities exposed to repeated attacks often experience the collapse of education systems, noting that fear is now a “substantial obstacle” to school enrolment.
“Ensuring the safety of schools is not just a logistical issue; it is a moral obligation,” he said, urging stronger community intelligence, improved security of learning facilities, and accountability for perpetrators.
He added that “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.”
The statement comes amid separate attacks in Borno, where suspected insurgents stormed a school in Mussa Village in Askira/Uba LGA during morning hours and abducted dozens of students, while some escaped into nearby bushes.
In Oyo State, gunmen also invaded schools in Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire LGA, killing a teacher and abducting a school principal alongside an unspecified number of students before fleeing into a nearby forest.
