The Peoples Democratic Party has accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of “surrendering to terrorists” following a surge in school kidnappings in northern Nigeria.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Ini Ememobong, on Sunday, the party said Nigerians have in the past week witnessed disturbing abductions, including 25 students in Kebbi State and 315 students and staff in Niger State.
The PDP said the incidents have left families and communities in deep anguish and criticised what it described as the absence of a clear federal government directive, noting that state governments in the affected areas have been left to adopt disparate measures.
The party warned that any move by the federal government to close schools in the affected states would amount to conceding victory to terrorists, whose goal it says is to halt formal education in the region. It argued that school closures would further worsen the already severe educational challenges in northern Nigeria, citing UNICEF data showing that the region accounts for the majority of the country’s estimated 18.3 million out-of-school children.
The PDP also faulted the federal government’s response to the recent attacks, describing it as “lacklustre and unempathetic.”
It criticised President Tinubu for not visiting Kebbi and Niger States to meet with families of abducted students, saying that directing the Minister of State for Defence to relocate to Kebbi fell short of the leadership required. The party contrasted the government’s response to the dispatch of larger contingents to international engagements, arguing that it showed insensitivity to the gravity of the crisis.
The opposition party called on the federal government to urgently fund and implement the National Policy on Safety, Security and Violence-Free Schools, which it said relies on community intelligence and rapid security response to prevent attacks on educational institutions. It warned that continued insecurity around schools would discourage education in northern Nigeria.
The PDP reiterated that the protection of lives and property remains the primary duty of any government and said that if the Tinubu administration is unable to fulfil this responsibility, it should seek assistance locally or internationally or “honourably resign.”
