Peter Obi issues a warning over rising school abductions in Nigeria, calling for urgent leadership action to tackle worsening insecurity

Former presidential candidate and Labour Party leader, Peter Obi, on Friday, June 5, 2026, issued a stark warning over what he described as a troubling rise in school abductions in Nigeria, urging urgent national reflection on the country’s worsening security situation.

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Peter Obi made the remarks in a public statement, where he referenced the 2014 abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in Borno State as a defining moment that once united Nigerians and drew global attention through the #BringBackOurGirls movement.

He noted that while the Chibok incident triggered widespread outrage, Nigeria has since recorded multiple school abductions over the years, describing the trend as a painful sign of deteriorating national security.

According to Peter Obi, Nigeria witnessed about ten school abductions during the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, while more than ten similar incidents have reportedly occurred within three years under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.

He expressed concern that despite the increasing frequency of such tragedies, public outrage and international attention have not remained as sustained as they were in earlier years, questioning whether Nigerians have become desensitised to insecurity.

The former Anambra State governor also criticised what he described as a growing focus on political positioning rather than urgent governance, warning that millions of citizens continue to face insecurity, poverty, and hardship.

In a powerful reflection, Peter Obi cautioned that Nigeria risks normalising failure if urgent steps are not taken to address the security crisis, adding that leadership must be both accountable and compassionate in responding to citizens’ fears.