Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has urged the Federal Government to immediately declare a state of emergency on Nigeria’s worsening security crisis, stressing that the latest school abductions in Niger State once again underline the country’s dangerous slide.
He warned that continued hesitation in the face of relentless attacks would only deepen public fear and national instability.
The opposition leader condemned the kidnapping of students and staff from a public school in Niger, describing it as another devastating reminder of the state’s fragile security structure.
He noted that the pattern of mass abductions, especially involving schoolchildren, has become an alarming routine that requires urgent and extraordinary intervention.
Atiku issued the statement on X on Friday, November 21, 2025, shortly after news broke of the incident in Niger State.
The attack adds to a series of violent raids across the North, prompting renewed calls for tougher and more coordinated action against armed groups.
“This is truly heartbreaking. How many more lives must be shattered before decisive action is taken?” he wrote. He added that the government needed to “declare a state of emergency on insecurity and confront this menace with the urgency it deserves.”
Security analysts say declaring a state of emergency would allow the government to deploy more flexible measures, intensify joint operations, and streamline command structures across affected regions.
Moreover, communities in the North-Central and North-West have repeatedly appealed for a more aggressive security response as attacks continue to disrupt education, farming, and daily life.
AFRIPOST reports that Atiku’s call is expected to fuel broader national debate over whether Nigeria’s current security framework can adequately contain the fast-evolving threat landscape or whether extraordinary measures have become unavoidable.