At least 315 children and 12 teachers were taken, although 50 children have managed to escape and have been reunited with their families. Hundreds remain missing as military-led search operations continue. Authorities have ordered schools to close across Niger, Kebbi, Katsina, Yobe, and Kwara states amid growing concerns over safety.
I am currently in an extended security meeting with heads of our defence and intelligence apparatus including the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Inspector-General of Police, Director-General of the DSS, at the State House.
We are reviewing the latest reports and… pic.twitter.com/Qo4CHmLlcd
— Bola Ahmed Tinubu (@officialABAT) November 23, 2025
Speaking to Channel Africa on Monday from Lagos, Dr. Diyeli Aigbe, Criminologist and Global Security Consultant, warned that these attacks reflect a worrying trend of escalating banditry and the failure of security agencies to keep pace.
“The bandits are on top of their game now,” Aigbe said. He explained that recent attacks appear increasingly coordinated, with abductions escalating in scale, from 25 children in one attack to over 300 in another within just a week. Teachers are also being targeted, highlighting the growing audacity of these criminal networks.
Aigbe stressed the importance of gathering intelligence from children who escaped, noting that such information could be crucial in tracking down the remaining victims. He urged northern state governors to collaborate closely, warning that “shifting blame will not solve this problem” and describing the situation as “a looming national chaos of immense proportion.”
Reflecting on historical patterns, Aigbe said that the persistence of mass abductions, dating back to the Chibok girls kidnapping in 2014, underscores systemic weaknesses in governance and security.
“The government’s response has been largely reactive rather than proactive,” he said, citing corruption, nepotism, and poor inter-agency coordination as factors that allow kidnappers to operate with impunity.
He also called for the use of technology to secure Nigeria’s porous northern borders, recommending drones and other modern tools to strengthen surveillance and prevent further attacks.
Nigeria has witnessed a steady increase in school abductions under successive administrations, with dozens of mass kidnappings recorded since 2014. Civil society and security experts warn that without immediate, coordinated action, the country risks further destabilisation and growing fear among parents, students, and communities.
–ChannelAfrica–
