Senator Abaribe Blasts Government Response to Kebbi Schoolchildren Kidnap

Few occurrences in Nigeria's sad, repeating cycle of insecurity strike a more visceral chord than the kidnapping of schoolchildren. These are not simply attacks on individuals, but also on the country's future, collective psyche, and the social contract between the state and its citizens. Another terrible chapter in this tale was the kidnapping of over 100 students from Kebbi State's Federal Government College, Birnin Yauri, in July 2021. The occurrence sparked considerable national outrage, but it was Senator Enyinnaya Harcourt Abaribe, the Minority Leader of the Senate, who presented the situation not as a mere tragedy, but as a serious Systemic failure. His scathing condemnation of the government's response went beyond political point scoring, emerging as a sobering prognosis of a nation in risk and a leadership that appears to be in disarray.

Senator Abaribe, a seasoned and frequently furious senator known for his principled and occasionally controversial positions, did not mince words. His response was a multifaceted condemnation that sparked the rage and frustration of millions. At its core, his attack was based on three pillars: the catastrophic failure of information and prevention, the lethally inadequate and chaotic security response, and the damning record of impunity that has made these atrocities a viable business model for terrorists.

First, Abaribe described the intelligence failure as an egregious blunder. "How can such many children be taken from a school, in a known region of vulnerability, without a single warning or preventive intervention?" he was arguing. Kebbi State, while not the hotbed of insurgency like Borno, is located in the Northwest region plagued by rampaging bands of armed kidnappers known popularly as "bandits." These organizations had mastered the method of mass abduction for ransom. The fact that a Federal Government College was so exposed with such lax security was not an accident, but rather the result of a malfunctioning early warning system. Abaribe's criticism

pointed to a security architecture that is almost entirely reactive, responding to headlines rather than intercepting schemes. He claimed that the government's massive security resources had not translated into actionable human intelligence on the ground, leaving communities vulnerable.

Second, and perhaps more damningly, Abaribe shredded the official reaction immediately following the incident. Reports from the site depicted pandemonium and hopelessness. Local vigilantes and desperate parents, armed with little more than determination, were the first to respond, engaging the kidnappers in a gunfight while official security personnel were noticeably delayed. This latency, which has established a morbid pattern from Chibok to Kankara to Kaduna, indicates a crisis in deployment, coordination, and, maybe, will. Abaribe framed this not. as a practical problem, but as a moral failure. The Nigerian state, which has the monopoly on justifiable force, was missing at a time when its populations were in desperate need. His words caused the nation to confront an uncomfortable question: if the state cannot protect children in their educational setting, what is its core purpose?

Aside from the operational shortcomings, Abaribe's most powerful claim was complicity through inaction—creating an environment of impunity. "When crime pays, it recurs," he declared, referring to the open secret of ransom payments. While the government maintains an official, and perhaps essential, policy of not paying ransom, the truth is that millions of naira pass hands.

To secure releases, do so privately. This combination has resulted in a lucrative, low-risk, high-reward market for kidnapping. Abaribe criticized the government of neglecting to follow the money, dismantle the financial networks, and prosecute the facilitators who profit from this misery. He maintained that by allowing this abduction economy to develop, the state had unwittingly enabled it. Bandits and terrorists are not mystical powers; they are rational people responding to incentives that the government has failed to destroy.

Furthermore, Abaribe linked the Kebbi episode to a larger trend of eroding command and control within the security forces. He brought up the disturbing frequency of attacks on military bases, police stations, and even the Nigerian Defence Academy. Every breach, he claimed, Furthermore, Abaribe linked the Kebbi episode to a larger trend of eroding command and control within the security forces. He brought up the disturbing frequency of attacks on military bases, police stations, and even the Nigerian Defence Academy. He maintained that each compromise degraded not only physical security, but also the state's perceived invincibility and competence. The Kebbi abduction was thus not an isolated incident, but rather a reflection of a broader breakdown of deterrence. When criminals can attack a federal institution with such brazenness and flee with over a hundred prisoners to believed safe havens, it indicates a failure in both defensive posture and offensive pursuit. 

Given his position as Minority Leader, the senator's censure had enormous political ramifications. He portrayed the government's response—often marked by quick pronouncements, promises of action, and then a return to silence, as a failure of transparency and responsibility. Families were abandoned in an information black hole, a purgatory of uncertainty that is itself a sort of suffering. Abaribe required not only action, but also communication, pledges, and actual results. In doing so, he expressed public discontent with a leadership style that appears to be more concerned with managing perceptions than crises.

Finally, Senator Abaribe's speech was more than just political theatre; it was a moving expression of a national trauma. The kidnapping of the Kebbi schoolchildren, like those before it, signifies the loss of innocence and betrayal of promise. Abaribe viewed the government's ineffective response as a further betrayal—a breach of trust. His statements rang true because they echoed a view shared by families and communities across Nigeria: a deep-seated worry that the state's security system is fundamentally flawed.

Abaribe's argument implies that the route forward demands a drastic reform. It requires a shift from a reactive, siege mentality to a proactive, intelligence-driven strategy for securing sensitive locations, particularly schools. It calls for a security sector reform that enhances coordination.

Mobility and morale throughout the soldiers. It demands a rigorous financial warfare campaign against abduction rings, focusing on their funding and logistics. Above all, it requires a revival of political will, with citizens' safety being the non-negotiable, top priority of governance.

Senator Abaribe's voice stood out in the aftermath of the Kebbi tragedy. It was a reminder that oversight is the lifeblood of democracy and that holding power accountable, particularly during times of crisis, is a legislator's highest obligation. It remains to be seen whether his blistering indictment would spark the radical action that Nigeria sorely needs. But by

He insured that the tale of the Kebbi children would be remembered not only for their pain, but also for the country's unwillingness to learn from its repeated, self-inflicted wounds. The true test is whether those in power will pay attention before the next school bell rings in another disadvantaged community.