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Former Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, has accused President Bola Tinubu of failing to protect Nigerian schoolchildren after gunmen abducted pupils and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, in yet another attack targeting education facilities.
Mr Amaechi described the attack as part of a worsening pattern of mass abductions, referencing the recent kidnapping of schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State. He warned that recurring assaults on schools, farms, highways and worship centres show insecurity has become “systemic, national and urgent.”
‘Government abroad’
Last week, a Nigerian delegation led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu met with the US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth after President Donald Trump placed Nigeria on a list of Countries of Particular Concern and threatened military action over alleged Christian genocide.
In a statement posted on Facebook, Mr Amaechi criticised the government for what he called a troubling disconnect between insecurity at home and government priorities abroad.
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“International cooperation is important, but when children are being abducted from schools, it is not enough to issue statements after the fact.”
He noted that senior security officials — including the Minister of Defence, NSA, Inspector-General of Police and Chief of Defence Staff — were outside the country when the attacks in Niger and Kebbi occurred.
“Nigerians want to see visible, coordinated, decisive and proactive action,” he added. “If it was his turn to lead, then it must be his turn to protect”
Referencing Tinubu’s 2022 declaration — “Emi lo kan” (“It is my turn”) — Mr Amaechi accused the president of failing to fulfil the responsibilities that accompany power.
“If it is anyone’s turn, then it is also the turn of Nigerian children to be protected. The right to lead cannot be separated from the duty to protect.”
Mr Amaechi, now a member of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC) and a 2027 presidential hopeful, said continued mass abductions threaten what remains of public confidence in the federal government.
Nigeria leads the world in out-of-school children
Nigeria has more than 18 million out-of-school children — the highest figure worldwide, according to UNICEF. Of these, 10.2 million are of primary school age and 8.1 million are of junior secondary age.
Mr Amaechi said repeated school attacks risk permanently worsening the crisis.
“When children are taken from classrooms, schooling becomes a risk, not a right. These incidents damage not only today’s education, but tomorrow’s workforce, tomorrow’s economy, and tomorrow’s peace.”
Mr Amaechi criticised the handling of the Safe Schools Declaration, which Nigeria endorsed in 2018 to protect schools from armed attacks. He noted that the N16 billion allocated in 2022 has not translated into a visible impact under the present administration.
“We cannot claim to be serious about protecting schools while abandoning a critical national structure designed to do exactly that.”
Experts have similarly pointed to poor implementation, weak inter-agency coordination and inconsistent budget releases.
“Security, not just guns — it is economic stability”
Beyond operational failures, Mr Amaechi linked insecurity to widespread poverty and lack of livelihood opportunities.
“If people cannot make a legitimate income, they will create illegitimate ones. Security is not only about operations; it is about opportunity, dignity and trust in the state.”
He urged President Tinubu to convene the National Council of State, calling it a necessary constitutional tool in times of national crisis.
“If we will not use such an instrument now, when will we?”
Rising criticism, rising fear
The latest abduction adds to a decade of mass school kidnappings that began with the 2014 Chibok incident. While some victims have been rescued or released, some remain missing.
Public pressure is mounting on President Tinubu as comparisons grow between his administration and those of his predecessors — Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari — both of whom faced severe public backlash over insecurity.
Calls for the president to resign have also emerged from political rivals, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Earlier, the former APC spokesperson and aviation regulator, Ita Awak, publicly apologised to ex-President Jonathan for calling him “clueless,” stating that insecurity under Tinubu is now “worse.”
A look back: insecurity under Buhari
Former President Muhammadu Buhari came to office in 2015 with promises to fight corruption and restore security. Many Nigerians expected that his military background would strengthen national defence.
Instead, insecurity escalated. About 31,821 people were killed by non-state actors between May 2015 and April 2023, according to data from the Nigeria Security Tracker, analysed by ICIR. In 2021 alone, more than 5,200 Nigerians were abducted — more than the total recorded between 2014 and 2019.
The wave of mass violence included banditry, insurgency, ransom kidnappings and deadly farmer-herder clashes. A stark example was the November 2020 killing of more than 100 rice farmers in Koshebe, Borno State, HumAngle reported.
Travel became unsafe, farms and schools shut down, and civilian faith in government capacity waned.
“We would have saved lives” — Amaechi after the Abuja–Kaduna train attack
Mr Amaechi’s frustration over systemic failures dates back to his time in Buhari’s cabinet. After the Abuja–Kaduna train attack on 28 March 2022, he expressed anger that a proposed surveillance system was delayed.
“I am devastated, and I honestly don’t know what to tell Nigerians anymore; the process of procuring the integrated security surveillance and monitoring solution has been tedious. If the processes were shortened, we would have saved lives,” PREMIUM TIMES reported.
“We knew what the problem would be… If we had that equipment, you would see anybody on that track… The cost of what we’ve lost is more than N3 billion. We only asked for approval.”
He further added, “If these items were here… drones would have told you there were people walking around here. We even need helicopters apart from the drones.”
Presidency responds
When contacted, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga said Mr Amaechi’s suggestions were constructive and would be considered.
“I am sure they will receive urgent consideration by the Federal Government.”
However, he disputed Mr Amaechi’s claim that key security leaders were absent during the latest abductions.
“The Commander-in-Chief is around, the DG of DSS is around and has been briefing him. The Chief of Army Staff is around and rallying troops. Those not in the country went on another crucial assignment in the US following Trump’s military threats.”
“The NSA has been in contact with security officials on the ground to get our kidnapped children released,” Mr Onanuga said.
