The Northern Ethnic Youth Group Assembly (NEYGA) has criticised opposition presidential candidates, Atiku Abubakar of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Peter Obi of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), over their reactions to recent school abductions in Oyo and Borno states, accusing them of politicising Nigeria’s security challenges.
In a statement signed by its spokesperson, Alhaji Ibrahim Dan-Musa, the group said it was wrong and unpatriotic for political leaders to use the suffering of abducted schoolchildren as a basis for political attacks against the federal government.
NEYGA’s reaction followed separate comments by Obi and Atiku concerning recent attacks on schools in Borno and Oyo States that led to the abduction of several pupils and teachers.
Obi had described the incidents as evidence of a growing “ransom economy,” lamenting what he termed the government’s inability to guarantee the safety of schoolchildren.
“There is nothing more heartbreaking for a nation than an inability to protect its children,” Obi stated, warning that the attacks represented a grave threat to the country’s future.
Atiku, in a statement issued through his media office, also condemned the attacks and questioned the effectiveness of the federal government’s Safe Schools initiative. He argued that the continued abduction of citizens undermined public confidence in government and stressed that security and welfare remain the foremost responsibility of any administration.
However, NEYGA faulted both politicians, insisting that national security should not become a campaign issue.
“We are disappointed that men who have held high political offices and aspire to lead Nigeria would seek to score cheap political points from the suffering of innocent children,” the group said.
According to NEYGA, politicians in countries confronted by security crises often put aside partisan interests and support governments in power.
The group cited examples including the response of American political leaders after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Israeli political unity following attacks by terrorist groups, and Kenya’s reaction to the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack.
NEYGA argued that both Atiku and Obi should draw lessons from those examples rather than intensify political criticism during periods of insecurity.
The group further alleged that past administrations in which the two politicians served failed to decisively address emerging security threats, thereby contributing to the current challenges confronting the country.
It maintained that insecurity requires collective national effort and urged opposition figures to support ongoing security measures rather than, in its words, “politicise the plight of victims.”
The recent attacks referenced by Obi and Atiku reportedly involved coordinated raids on schools in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State and Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, where dozens of students and teachers were abducted by armed attackers. The incidents have renewed concerns over the safety of schools and the resurgence of mass kidnappings across parts of the country.
