Tinubu’s Three Years Have Recorded More School Abductions Than Buhari’s Eight Since Chibok – Obi

Former Governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, has expressed concern over the rising spate of school abductions in Nigeria, stating that the country has recorded more such incidents during President Bola Tinubu’s three years in office than it did during the eight-year administration of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement on Friday, Obi reflected on the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls, describing it as a defining moment that united Nigerians and drew global attention to the country’s security challenges.

He recalled that the Chibok incident sparked widespread outrage, attracted international support, and generated sustained pressure on the government through the #BringBackOurGirls campaign.

“The abduction of the Chibok girls in 2014 triggered a global movement. One school abduction was enough to unite Nigerians, attract international attention, and place enormous pressure on the government through the #BringBackOurGirls campaign,” he said.

Obi, however, lamented that despite the recurrence of similar incidents across the country, the level of public concern and international attention has significantly diminished.

He noted that Nigeria witnessed about ten school abductions during Buhari’s eight years in office, while more than ten have already been recorded under Tinubu’s administration within just three years.

“Yet, what has happened since then should trouble every Nigerian,” Obi stated, questioning whether the nation had become so accustomed to insecurity that incidents which once shocked the national conscience were now being treated as normal.

The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election also criticised what he described as the government’s focus on political calculations ahead of future elections while millions of Nigerians continue to grapple with insecurity, poverty, and economic hardship.

“At a time when millions of Nigerians are grappling with insecurity, poverty, and hardship, it is deeply troubling that those in power appear more focused on political calculations and preparations for the next election than on addressing the urgent challenges confronting our people,” he decried.

Obi further argued that persistent insecurity, economic difficulties, and leadership failures had negatively impacted Nigeria’s image globally, noting that some observers had gone as far as describing the country as a “Now Disgraced Nation.”

While rejecting attempts to define Nigeria solely by its present challenges, he stressed the need for competent, compassionate, and accountable leadership capable of restoring public confidence and addressing the country’s pressing problems.

“The answer is not denial, propaganda, or political distraction. The answer is leadership that is competent, compassionate, accountable, and genuinely committed to the welfare and security of the Nigerian people,” he remarked.

Obi equally called on Nigerian youths to remain actively engaged in shaping the country’s future and resist becoming indifferent to governance failures.

“The Nigerian youth must not become indifferent. We must all refuse to normalise failure. Young Nigerians, take back your country,” he urged.

ThelensNG