ABUJA, Nigeria (FN), Former presidential candidate Peter Obi on Friday condemned the abduction of candidates sitting for the Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) in Benue State, describing the incident as a reflection of leadership failure and worsening insecurity in Nigeria.
Obi, in a statement shared on X, said the abduction was “not just heartbreaking but a damning indictment of the failure of leadership and the collapse of security in our nation.” He lamented that young Nigerians striving for education are increasingly exposed to violence, warning that the country cannot afford further losses in its already limited pool of graduates.
“In a country where the share of tertiary graduates is already painfully low, about 1 percent, far below peers like Indonesia at 13 percent and South Africa around 10 percent, this is unacceptable. We cannot afford to lose even one more student to violence,” Obi said.
The former Anambra State governor accused authorities of prioritizing political interests over security, alleging that those entrusted with protecting students are “preoccupied with the next election” rather than deploying resources to secure roads and rescue abducted children.
Nigeria has faced a surge in abductions in recent years, particularly targeting schools. In 2014, Boko Haram militants kidnapped more than 270 girls from Chibok in Borno State, sparking global outrage. In 2021, hundreds of students were abducted in Zamfara and Niger states, with many released only after ransom payments. Analysts say such incidents have become part of a broader pattern of insecurity across the country, undermining education and eroding public trust in government.
Obi described the Benue abduction as part of that pattern, calling it “a national crisis” that demands urgent and decisive action. “It requires leadership that matches the scale of the emergency this deserves,” he said, warning that failure to protect young people could have lasting consequences for Nigeria’s future.
“A nation that abandons its youth abandons its future. This cannot continue,” Obi added.
