Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Federal Government to intensify its efforts on security measures across the country, saying that a state of emergency on security would be the only solution to the escalating insurgent activities, especially in the northern region.
Abubakar’s suggestion followed recent banditry attacks on a Kwara church and two schools in Kebbi and Niger States, where several schoolgirls were abducted to an unknown destination.
He argued that the worsening pattern of school invasions shows that criminal groups are becoming bolder, noting that the absence of decisive countermeasures continues to expose citizens to preventable harm.
Although military personnel and security operatives have been deployed to pursue the perpetrators and rescue the girls, the former presidential candidate cautioned that delaying intervention would only worsen insecurity, heighten fear, and further destabilize already troubled regions.
Atiku released his statement on X on Friday, November 21, 2025, shortly after armed men seized students and staff from St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State.
“This is truly heartbreaking,” he wrote, lamenting the persistent assaults on schools. “How many more lives must be shattered before decisive action is taken? The government must declare a state of emergency on insecurity and confront this menace with the urgency it deserves.”
