Former presidential candidate Dr. Gbenga Hashim has strongly condemned the abduction of schoolchildren from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, and coordinated attacks on multiple schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, describing the incidents as a brutal assault on Nigeria’s future.
The affected schools in Oyo State include Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and L.A Primary School, Esiele.
In a statement issued on Monday, Hashim said the targeting of schoolchildren represents a dangerous escalation in terror tactics and a direct attack on education, stability, and national hope.
“Schools must never become theatres of fear,” he stated. “Repeated attacks on learning institutions risk entrenching insecurity across generations.”
Hashim extended condolences to the families of the victims and urged the Federal Government and security agencies to act swiftly and decisively. He said the safe and immediate rescue of the abducted children must be treated as a national priority.
He said the incidents expose persistent weaknesses in Nigeria’s rural security framework, where insurgent groups continue to exploit ungoverned spaces, poverty, and limited state presence.
While acknowledging the recent elimination of an ISIS commander through joint Nigerian–U.S. operations, Hashim cautioned against overreliance on isolated military successes.
“This tragedy is a stark reminder that tactical victories alone cannot secure the nation,” he said.
Hashim called for a decisive shift toward a comprehensive national security doctrine that combines sustained military pressure with intelligence coordination, border control, expansion of rural security, and targeted socio-economic interventions.
He also urged the international community to pay closer attention to the deteriorating security situation in Northern Nigeria, warning that its implications extend beyond national borders into the wider West and Central African region.
Hashim criticized what he described as a lack of sustained global urgency, particularly regarding the repeated abduction of African children, and cautioned against growing international indifference.
“The world must not become desensitized,” he said.
Concluding, he warned that Nigeria cannot build a stable future under the shadow of fear.
“No nation can thrive when its children are hunted and its schools are under siege.”
