By Nkechi Eze
The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum (ABMP) has condemned the recent abductions of schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger States, describing the incidents as painful reminders of the worsening insecurity confronting northern Nigeria. The forum also demanded a full-scale investigation into the security lapses that enabled the attacks.
In a statement signed by its National Chairman, Alhaji Abdullahi Yelwa, Ajiyan Yauri, ABMP expressed its deepest sympathy to Governor Nasir Idris of Kebbi State and the residents of Maga following the abduction of 25 schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School. The forum said the attack had reopened the psychological wounds of the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, which remains one of the most traumatic episodes in Nigeria’s history.
Yelwa also condemned the recent abduction of schoolchildren in Niger State, calling it another distressing reminder that insecurity in the North has become persistent, coordinated and increasingly brazen. He said the repeated targeting of schoolchildren was evidence of the continued inability to protect educational institutions and the nation’s most vulnerable citizens.
The ABMP chairman urged security agencies to leave no stone unturned in rescuing all abducted children while insisting that the circumstances surrounding both incidents must be urgently and transparently investigated.
He described as deeply troubling the revelation that the Department of State Services had earlier warned the Kebbi State Government of an impending abduction, and that while the state authorities reportedly relayed the alert to relevant security agencies, the school remained exposed. The forum said such failure to act on credible intelligence was unacceptable.
Even more alarming, the statement added, were Governor Nasir Idris’s public concerns over the withdrawal of soldiers from the school’s vicinity shortly before the attack. Yelwa said the development raises serious questions about possible sabotage, negligence or compromise within the security system and must be thoroughly examined.
The forum noted that almost every major school abduction in the past from Chibok to Yauri, occurred despite prior intelligence warnings that were either ignored or poorly managed. It said Nigeria must now reassess its security approach, arguing that bandit groups are not invisible and their camps are known to both communities and security formations.
According to ABMP, the bandits exploit forest corridors that link Katsina, Sokoto, Kebbi and Niger States, moving across these borders with ease while governments continue to address the threat through isolated and fragmented responses. The forum called for a united, well-coordinated regional strategy led by Kebbi State to contain banditry more effectively.
At the federal level, ABMP urged a review of policies that involve negotiating or striking settlements with armed groups, saying no peace initiative can succeed when bandits remain heavily armed and emboldened.
The forum also called for Nigeria’s foreign policy and diplomatic presence to be revitalised as a tool for national security. It described the prolonged absence of ambassadors in key countries as a weakness that has undermined Nigeria’s influence in West Africa, a region central to the fight against cross-border banditry and terrorism. While acknowledging recent federal moves to appoint ambassadors, Yelwa stressed that nominees must possess deep knowledge of regional culture, politics and security dynamics.
The Arewa Broadcast Media Practitioners Forum reaffirmed its solidarity with the people of Kebbi and Niger States, urging leaders at all levels to act with sincerity and urgency in addressing the escalating threat.
It prayed for the comfort of affected families and wisdom for authorities as efforts continue to end the abduction crisis across the region.
