Former Vice President and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the abduction of a school principal, a National Examinations Council (NECO) official and students during the ongoing NECO examinations in Kogi State, describing the incident as evidence that bandits have taken over Nigeria’s education system.
Atiku said the attack was another painful reminder of the worsening insecurity in the country and accused the Federal Government of failing in its constitutional responsibility to protect lives, schools and the future of Nigerian children.
The former vice president made the remarks in a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu.
His reaction followed Tuesday’s attack on Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State, where armed men invaded the school during the ongoing NECO examinations.
The attackers abducted the school principal, a NECO ad hoc official and four examination candidates before fleeing the scene.
The Kogi State Government later confirmed that one of the victims had been rescued, while security agencies launched a large-scale operation involving the Nigerian Army, the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services (DSS), local vigilantes and hunters to rescue the remaining victims.
Governor Ahmed Usman Ododo also directed all security agencies in the state to intensify efforts to secure the safe release of those still in captivity and arrest the kidnappers.
Reacting to the development, Atiku described the attack as both tragic and shameful, saying it showed that many schools in Nigeria were no longer safe for learning.
According to him, the latest abduction demonstrates that the Nigerian state has abandoned one of its most important responsibilities.
He said the government has a duty to protect lives, education and the future of young Nigerians but has failed to do so.
According to Atiku, it is disturbing that children can no longer sit for public examinations without facing the risk of being kidnapped by armed criminals.
He said schools, which ought to provide a safe environment for learning and personal development, have increasingly become targets for criminal gangs.
“An examination hall should be a sanctuary of hope, not a crime scene,” he said.
“A school principal should be preparing students for the future, not negotiating with kidnappers. A NECO official should be supervising examinations, not struggling for survival in the hands of bandits.”
He added that such incidents had become a painful reality under an administration that, according to him, had failed to tackle insecurity effectively.
The former vice president also linked the attack to what he described as the government’s poor handling of the education sector.
He argued that insecurity in schools cannot be separated from what he called the neglect of public education.
According to him, the Federal Government has made education more expensive through increases in examination fees while failing to provide adequate security for schools.
“It is impossible to separate this attack from the attitude this administration has displayed towards education,” Atiku said.
He criticised what he described as repeated increases in the cost of writing examinations conducted by the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) and the National Examinations Council (NECO), arguing that many families are already struggling with the rising cost of education.
He also accused the government of neglecting public schools and reducing education to campaign promises without meaningful improvements in infrastructure, funding or security.
According to him, criminals now see schools as easy targets because learning environments have not received the protection they deserve.
The latest attack has once again raised concerns over the safety of schools across Nigeria, particularly in areas affected by kidnapping and armed violence.
Over the past few years, hundreds of students have been abducted from schools in states including Kaduna, Niger, Zamfara, Katsina and Kebbi, forcing some schools to shut down temporarily.
Although many victims were later rescued or released, the incidents sparked nationwide concern about the safety of children in educational institutions.
In response, both the Federal Government and several state governments introduced the Safe Schools Initiative, a programme aimed at strengthening security around schools through improved surveillance, better emergency response and closer cooperation with local communities.
Despite those measures, attacks on schools and kidnappings continue to occur in some parts of the country.
The Kogi State Government has already launched a multi-agency rescue operation involving the military, police, intelligence agencies and local security groups to locate the remaining victims of the latest abduction.
State authorities also disclosed that preliminary investigations showed the examination centre was located in a remote area and that some of the examination arrangements did not comply with the state’s security guidelines for the ongoing NECO examinations.
Security agencies have continued search operations in and around the affected communities, while residents and parents anxiously await the safe return of the remaining victims.
Atiku expressed sympathy with the affected families and called for urgent action to restore confidence in the country’s education system.
He stressed that no child should have to choose between getting an education and staying alive.
The former vice president urged the government to strengthen security around schools, improve intelligence gathering and ensure that those responsible for attacks on educational institutions are arrested and prosecuted.
He maintained that Nigeria cannot build a better future if schools remain vulnerable to attacks by criminal groups.