Fatimah Otunsanya
The Senate on Tuesday condemned the deadly attack on the Government Girls School in Maga, Kebbi State, where gunmen reportedly killed the vice principal and abducted 25 students.
The lawmakers’ reaction followed a motion raised by Kebbi Senator Yahaya Abdullahi during plenary, prompting a heated debate on the worsening insecurity across educational institutions.
The session was presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who later ordered a closed-door meeting after the deliberations.
Former Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, lamented the continuing attacks on schools, warning that the country risks losing an entire generation if urgent steps are not taken.
These children are our future. We have to do everything possible to get them back. Otherwise, the future of Nigeria will be compromised. But time is of the essence to our armed forces.”
Senator Orji Uzor Kalu (Abia North) stressed that governors must share responsibility for fighting insecurity, recalling his own experience while in office.
“Security should not only be the job of the Federal Government. I have never blamed former President Olusegun Obasanjo while I was a governor. I had gone out of my way to help Anambra and other states in terms of security.”
For Senator Victor Umeh (Anambra Central), the frequency of school attacks demands the deployment of technology and a renewed national urgency.
“This matter is what many people don’t want to discuss anymore. But it is a matter of national importance. They were taken away and are still being moved around. So we urge security agencies to deploy their technology to find them,” he said.
Senator Solomon Lalong (Plateau South) questioned the effectiveness of the World Bank–supported Safe School programme and drew parallels with the tragedy of the Chibok girls.
“What has the girl child done to Nigeria? What is wrong with the Safe School programme funded by the World Bank, because I was also a part of it? This is the same fate that befell our Chibok girls. It should be treated as a matter of national security before it turns into another Chibok experience.”