The presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, has expressed sadness about the abduction of the principal and some students from Government Secondary School, Olowa, in Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.
He said the incident is both heartbreaking and troubling.
Naijaonpoint recalls that gunmen who attacked the school on Tuesday, abducted the principal, four students and a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc official.
The attack reportedly occurred while students were writing an ongoing NECO examination.
Reacting in a statement on Wednesday, Obi declared that schools in Nigeria must remain symbols of hope, and not theatres of fear.
Expressing concerns for the safety of citizens, the former Governor of Anambra State, lamented that the abduction is a stark reminder of how far insecurity has eroded the sanctity of Nigeria’s educational institutions.
“The news of the abduction of a school principal, students, and a NECO official in Kogi State while the students were writing their examination is both heartbreaking and deeply troubling. That innocent children can no longer go to school, study, or sit for a national examination without the fear of criminal violence is a stark reminder of how far insecurity has eroded the sanctity of our educational institutions and the safety of our citizens. This is happening at a time when education is our most needed asset for development and growth.
“Our schools must never become theatres of fear; they should symbolise hope and the promise of a better future, not terror and uncertainty,” he wrote on 𝕏.
Obi called on security agencies and the government to take steps towards securing the release of the abducted victims.
“I call on the relevant security agencies to act with urgency, deploy every available resource, and ensure the safe and unconditional rescue of all those abducted. At the same time, government at all levels must take deliberate steps to strengthen security around our schools and restore public confidence in our education system.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the affected families, the school community, and the people of Kogi State. We cannot continue to normalise these recurring tragedies. A nation that cannot guarantee the safety of its children is mortgaging its future.
“A New Nigeria is POssible,” he wrote.
