Adewumi Adeyemi, a fiery member of the Osun State House of Assembly, has slammed the recent abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State as a glaring testament to how broken Nigeria’s security apparatus has become.
On Monday, armed men attacked the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, located in Danko/Wasagu LGA of Kebbi State, storming the school around 4:00 a.m. The assailants opened fire, overwhelmed on-site police, scaled the fence, and dragged away 25 female students. Tragically, the school’s vice principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, was shot dead during the raid, while a security guard, Ali Shehu, was wounded.
A Lawmaker’s Wake-Up Call
In a blistering statement released on Wednesday, Adeyemi didn’t mince his words. He argued that this attack doesn’t just reflect local failure — it’s a symptom of deep structural rot in Nigeria’s entire security architecture.
“There are moments when a nation must pause and ask itself hard questions. This is one of those moments.”
For Adeyemi, the abduction is not an isolated horror. It’s a signal that intelligence gathering is failing, preventive measures are weak, and coordination among security agencies is fractured.
He lambasted the chain of command as being “blurred” and inefficient — a dangerous mix when soft targets like children are involved.
Broken Systems, Bleeding Communities
The lawmaker didn’t shy away from the wider implications:
- Schools are meant to be safe spaces, yet they’re repeatedly violated.
- Families are grieving. Communities are traumatized.
- The country continues to watch a cycle that never breaks.
He warned that when a nation cannot safeguard its own citizens, it opens the door to external pressures and vulnerabilities.
Adeyemi called for an urgent strategic overhaul. He said Nigeria must:
- Reinforce internal security systems
- Equip security agencies with better tools and clearer mandates
- Build early-warning systems in schools and communities
- Ensure leaders prioritize human life over politics
“When a nation cannot firmly secure its people, it unintentionally invites pressure from outside. Solving these life-threatening issues is the only way to safeguard our sovereignty.”
On-the-Ground Response
Security forces have swung into action. According to police spokesperson CSP Nafiu Abubakar Kotarkoshi, tactical units at the school engaged the attackers in several exchanges of gunfire.
Still, the kidnappers escaped — moving through forest routes commonly used by bandits. Authorities say they’ve deployed a combined force of police, military units, and vigilante groups to pursue the abductors and rescue the children.
Political Pressure Mounts
The Senate has reacted with strong criticism. Lawmakers are demanding an immediate audit of the $30 million Safe School Fund, established to protect students nationwide. Many are now asking: Where did the money go?
Some senators have proposed recruiting 100,000 additional military personnel, arguing that Nigeria’s current security workforce is overstretched, under-equipped, and unable to respond swiftly to crises.
An ad-hoc Senate committee has also been set up to investigate how the Safe School Programme has been managed and why schools remain exposed despite years of funding.
The Bigger Picture
This is not the first mass abduction of students in Nigeria — and many fear it won’t be the last unless structural reforms take place. The pattern is grim and persistent across the northwest.
Critics, including former presidential aide Reno Omokri, insist the only path forward is bold reform: decentralize policing, empower communities, and rethink how security operations are funded.
Adewumi Adeyemi’s warning is harsh, but it echoes a growing national frustration: Nigeria must address the failures within its security system, or continue watching its children fall victim to a crisis that should have been solved long ago.