KEY POINTS
- Atiku demands a state of emergency on insecurity.
- Rising kidnappings fuel pressure on authorities.
- Calls for a state of emergency on insecurity intensify.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is calling on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on insecurity after yet another mass abduction of schoolchildren, this time in Niger State.
Atiku said the escalating pattern of kidnappings shows the situation has slipped into a national crisis requiring exceptional intervention. He described the latest attack as “heartbreaking” and urged the government to act before more communities fall victim.
State of emergency on insecurity dominates debate
Gunmen stormed St. Mary’s Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, in the early hours of Friday. Witnesses said the attackers arrived on more than 60 motorcycles and a van, seizing an unspecified number of students from the Catholic-run institution before escaping.
The raid adds to a string of recent school abductions and violent attacks that have deepened public anxiety. Less than a week earlier, 26 students were taken from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, where Vice Principal Hassan Makuku was killed while trying to protect the pupils.
In another incident, gunmen abducted at least 30 worshippers from the Christ Apostolic Church in Eruku, Kwara State, during a deadly attack that left three people dead.
Political pressure grows around state of emergency on insecurity
Atiku said Nigeria cannot continue absorbing such losses without a comprehensive and urgent strategy. He argued that declaring a state of emergency would give authorities the legal and operational tools needed to disrupt criminal networks more effectively.
President Bola Tinubu recently condemned the earlier Kebbi abductions and directed Vice President Kashim Shettima to visit affected families. However, some claim that these actions fall short of the comprehensive changes needed to stop the deteriorating security trend.
Atiku cautioned that further delays endanger additional lives and erode public trust in the government’s capacity to protect vulnerable populations.
