FG faces criticism over unequal response to Oyo, Borno school abductions
On May 16, armed men abducted 46 pupils and teachers from schools in Esiele and Yawota communities in Oyo State, while simultaneously suspected Boko Haram insurgents abducted 42 students from Mussa Primary School in Askira/Uba, Borno State. Both incidents occurred within hours of each other.
Despite the similar scale and timing, the Federal Government's responses differed significantly. In Oyo, President Tinubu dispatched a high-powered federal delegation led by Chief of Staff Femi Gbajabiamila, including top security officials like NSA Nuhu Ribadu, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, and CDS Christopher Musa. The President also approved recruitment of 1,000 forest guards for Oyo and deployment of a specialized security rescue unit.
In Borno, however, no comparable federal delegation has been documented, and the 42 abducted students remain in captivity weeks after the incident. Civil society organizations, security experts, and residents have criticized what they perceive as unequal attention, with Senior Advocate Femi Falana calling for the same security initiatives to be extended to Borno.
Security experts note that both incidents highlight the growing vulnerability of rural schools across Nigeria, emphasizing that prevention measures should be implemented uniformly across all regions facing similar threats, regardless of geographical location.