Amaechi Blasts Tinubu: Schools Under Siege Amid Worsening Security

After gunmen kidnapped students and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri, Niger State, in yet another attack targeting educational facilities, former Transportation Minister Rotimi Amaechi accused President Bola Tinubu of neglecting to protect Nigerian schools.

In reference to the recent kidnapping of schoolgirls in Maga, Kebbi State, Mr. Amaechi characterized the crime as a part of a growing trend of mass abductions. Recurrent attacks on schools, farms, roads, and places of worship, he said, demonstrate that insecurity has grown “systemic, national, and urgent.”

Following President Donald Trump’s placement of Nigeria on a list of Countries of Particular Concern and his threat of military action for claimed Christian genocide, a team from Nigeria led by National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu met with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth last week.

Mr. Amaechi criticized the government in a Facebook post for what he described as a concerning mismatch between domestic insecurity and foreign policy ambitions.

“International cooperation is important, but making statements after the fact is insufficient when children are being abducted from schools.”

He pointed out that at the time of the assaults in Niger and Kebbi, important security officials, such as the Minister of Defense, NSA, Inspector-General of Police, and Chief of Defense Staff, were abroad.

“Visible, coordinated, decisive, and proactive action is what Nigerians want,” he continued. “It must be his turn to defend if it was his turn to lead.”

Citing Tinubu’s 2022 proclamation, “Emi lo kan” (“It is my turn”), Mr. Amaechi charged the president of neglecting the duties that come with authority.

“If it is anyone’s turn, Nigerian children should be safeguarded as well. The obligation to protect is inextricably linked to the right to lead.

Mr. Amaechi, a 2027 presidential candidate and current member of the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC), claimed that such mass kidnappings endanger the public’s remaining faith in the federal administration.

Nigeria has the most out-of-school children worldwide.
According to UNICEF, Nigeria has the biggest number of out-of-school children worldwide, with over 18 million. Of these, 8.1 million are in junior secondary school and 10.2 million are in elementary school.

According to Mr. Amaechi, the problem might get worse over time if school attacks continue.

“Schooling becomes a risk rather than a right when kids are removed from classrooms.” These events harm not just education now but also the workforce, economy, and peace of tomorrow.

Nigeria endorsed the Safe Schools Declaration in 2018 to prevent armed attacks on schools, but Mr. Amaechi criticized the way it was handled. He pointed out that under the current administration, the N16 billion allotted in 2022 has not had any discernible effect.

“We cannot abandon a vital national structure that is intended to protect schools and still claim to be serious about doing so.”

In a similar vein, experts have identified uneven budget releases, inadequate interagency cooperation, and poor execution.

“Economic stability is security, not just firearms.”
Mr. Amaechi connected widespread poverty and a lack of employment prospects to insecurity, going beyond operational shortcomings.

People will create illicit sources of income if they are unable to earn a legitimate one. Security encompasses not just operations but also opportunity, dignity, and faith in the government.

Calling the National Council of State an essential constitutional tool in times of national crises, he asked President Tinubu to call a meeting of the body.

“When will we use such an instrument if not now?”

Growing criticism and dread
Ten years of widespread school kidnappings, which started with the Chibok event in 2014, have already been completed. Some victims are still unaccounted for, but others have been saved or freed.

As similarities between President Tinubu’s government and that of his predecessors, Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari, both of whom experienced harsh public criticism due to insecurity, public pressure is increasing.

Political adversaries, such as former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, have also called for the president’s resignation.

Ita Awak, a former aviation regulator and spokeswoman for the APC, had earlier publicly apologized to former President Jonathan for labeling him “clueless,” claiming that insecurity under Tinubu is now “worse.”

A retrospective: Buhari’s insecurity
When former President Muhammadu Buhari took office in 2015, he made pledges to combat corruption and reestablish security. Many Nigerians anticipated that his military experience would bolster the country’s defense.

Rather, insecurity grew worse. According to ICIR’s analysis of data from the Nigeria Security Tracker, non-state actors killed about 31,821 persons between May 2015 and April 2023. Over 5,200 Nigerians were kidnapped in 2021 alone, surpassing the total number of abductions from 2014 to 2019.

Banditry, rebellion, ransom kidnappings, and fatal farmer-herder battles were all part of the wave of widespread violence. The murder of over 100 rice farmers in Koshebe, Borno State, in November 2020 was a striking example, according to HumAngle.

Travel became dangerous, schools and farms closed, and public trust in the ability of the government declined.

“After the Abuja–Kaduna train attack, we would have saved lives,” Amaechi said.
Since his tenure in Buhari’s government, Mr. Amaechi has been frustrated by systematic failures. He was upset that a planned surveillance system was postponed following the March 28, 2022, Abuja–Kaduna train incident.

“The procedure of obtaining the comprehensive security surveillance and monitoring system has been laborious; I am upset and honestly don’t know what to tell Nigerians anymore. We may have saved lives if the procedures had been expedited, according to PREMIUM TIMES.

“We were aware of the potential issue. You would see people on that track if we had that equipment. We’ve lost more than N3 billion as a result. All we requested was permission.

“If these things were here,” he continued. Drones would have alerted you to the presence of individuals in the area. In addition to drones, we even require helicopters.

The president reacts
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga stated that Mr. Amaechi’s recommendations were helpful and would be taken into account when contacted.

“I’m confident the Federal Government will give them serious consideration.”

He refuted Mr. Amaechi’s assertion, nevertheless, that important security figures were not present during the most recent kidnappings.

The DG of DSS is present and has been briefing the Commander-in-Chief. The Chief of Army Staff is present and mobilizing soldiers. Following Trump’s military threats, those who were not in the nation undertook another important duty in the US.

Mr. Onanuga stated, “To get our kidnapped children released, the NSA has been in contact with security officials on the ground.”