Fresh reactions to the wave of abductions across Nigeria have exposed growing anxiety over the country’s security failures, as opposition figures, international organisations and regional groups intensify pressure for urgent reforms and stronger government action.

The Federal Government, meanwhile, has assured Nigerians that coordinated intelligence-driven operations are underway to rescue abducted pupils and teachers, announcing intensified surveillance, specialised rescue deployments and the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards to tackle worsening insecurity across vulnerable communities.

The pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, yesterday warned that continued delay in establishing state police could plunge Nigeria into intractable ethnic conflicts.

The group said the worsening insecurity across various parts of the country could push citizens towards self-defence, insisting that the establishment of state police cannot wait for the 60-month gestation period reportedly proposed by the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu.

In a statement signed by its Secretary-General, Sola Ebiseni, Afenifere criticised what it described as the Federal Government’s fire-brigade approach to security deployment, warning that vast ungoverned spaces have been left vulnerable to terrorist infiltration and cross-border criminal networks.

According to Ebiseni, Nigeria has become a deliberate target of international terrorism driven by what he described as an undisguised territorial agenda.

The group also urged Nigerians to treat the current insecurity as a national challenge that requires collective action, rather than allowing it to become a tool for political gain.

“For the avoidance of doubt, it is no longer acceptable for the people who voluntarily consented to being part of the Nigerian state in the hope that they would be better protected by the created leviathan to now be permanently subjected to terror and apprehension by their supposed compatriots acting in criminal collaboration with foreign elements,” the statement read.

“The unnecessary vacuum being created by the intolerable delay in establishing state police may soon be filled by intractable ethnic conflicts arising from the natural instinct for self and communal protection if urgent action is not taken.”

Afenifere further advised political actors against politicising insecurity, stressing that the crisis should be addressed with the same collective resolve Nigerians adopted in combating the COVID-19 pandemic.

PRP asks Tinubu to resign over worsening insecurity
FOR its part, the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) called on President Bola Tinubu to resign over what it described as the Federal Government’s failure to guarantee the safety and security of Nigerians.

Chairman of the party, Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, made the call in a statement issued yesterday, saying it had become clear that the President had failed in what he described as his foremost constitutional responsibility of protecting citizens from violent crime and insecurity.

According to him, insecurity has worsened across the country under Tinubu’s administration, with Nigerians from different walks of life increasingly becoming victims of criminal attacks.

The PRP chairman argued that threats to national security had expanded rather than diminished, stressing that no part of the country could now be considered safe.

“Schoolchildren have joined the long list of soft targets, and the nation appears to be at the point of accepting this situation as normal. We must not surrender to weak leadership and the activities of criminals,” he said.

“This is not how Nigerians should live. Our President has failed the nation, and there is no evidence that he can improve on his poor record. He has concentrated enormous power around himself, yet he has failed to use it to protect and defend Nigerians.

“In most democracies, President Tinubu’s failure to uphold the values of accountability and responsibility would not have been tolerated. Nigerians must rise to demand an end to this ineptitude and indifference. President Tinubu should resign now.”

UN seeks immediate release of abducted schoolchildren, teachers
ALSO, the United Nations (UN) expressed deep concern over the recent abductions of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo and Borno states, calling for the immediate and safe release of all victims.

The organisation also urged Nigerian authorities to intensify efforts to secure schools nationwide.

Speaking in Abuja yesterday, the United Nations Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mohamed Fall, condemned the attacks, which also resulted in the killing of two teachers, describing the incidents as a grave assault on children’s right to education and safety.

Fall said the continued captivity of the schoolchildren and their teachers was deeply troubling.

According to him, educational institutions must remain safe spaces for learning rather than becoming targets of violence and fear.

“The recent incidents underscore the urgent need to strengthen the protection of children, educators and learning environments,” he said.

The UN official acknowledged ongoing efforts by the Nigerian government and security agencies to address the situation but insisted that more must be done to secure the swift return of all abductees and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice.

He emphasised that children should never become victims of armed conflict or criminal violence, noting that attacks on schools threaten not only lives but also the future of communities and national development.

Atiku seeks overhaul of Nigeria’s counterterrorism strategy
SIMILARLY, former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar called for a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s counterterrorism framework, saying the Federal Government’s current approach is failing to keep pace with evolving security threats.

In a statement issued yesterday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said the spread of terrorism, banditry and kidnapping beyond northern Nigeria shows that the country’s security architecture requires urgent reforms.

According to Atiku, terrorists have continued to adapt their methods while government responses remain largely unchanged.

“The terrorists are learning from every attack. They study their successes and failures. They refine their tactics. They identify vulnerabilities. They adapt and strike again,” the statement said.

“From Chibok to Oyo, from countless villages in the North-West to communities across the Middle Belt and beyond, the pattern has become tragically familiar. An attack occurs. The nation mourns. Promises are made. Committees are announced.”

He said the expansion of banditry, terrorism and kidnapping across different parts of the country demonstrates that the current counterterrorism framework is no longer adequate for the scale and complexity of the security challenge facing the nation.

Atiku also criticised what he described as the Federal Government’s failure to systematically learn from past attacks and apply those lessons to prevent future incidents.

“It is now imperative that the Federal Government immediately initiates a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s national counterterrorism policy,” he said.

“The battle against terrorism cannot be won solely through military deployments. While kinetic operations remain necessary, the government must aggressively target the financial lifelines of terrorist groups.

“We must identify and dismantle the networks that fund, equip, transport and shelter these criminal elements.”