Former presidential candidate Peter Obi has condemned the recent attacks and abductions of students in Borno and Oyo states, describing the incidents as a devastating assault on the nation’s future and a direct threat to children’s right to education.
Reacting to the attacks on schools in Mussa Village, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State and Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, Obi said there was nothing more heartbreaking for a nation than its inability to protect its children.
He warned that the rising wave of kidnappings and insecurity around schools could worsen Nigeria’s already troubling out-of-school crisis, particularly as fear continues to force many children, especially girls, out of classrooms permanently.
According to him, repeated attacks on schools in vulnerable communities are destroying confidence in the education system, with parents increasingly reluctant to send their children to school amid growing security concerns.
Obi stressed that securing schools goes beyond logistics and should be treated as a moral responsibility, calling for stronger community-based intelligence gathering, improved security infrastructure around schools, and a justice system that ensures perpetrators are held accountable.
“For the actualization of a new Nigeria that is possible, we must make the safety, education, and wellbeing of our children a priority,” he stated.
