With the latest Kaduna school abduction, I repeat my call for the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the education sector, and to post 24-hour armed guards at every school in the affected and neighbouring states. No expense must be spared to keep our schools safe.
With 13.5 million children, Nigeria is already the world headquarters for out-of-school kids. This can only make things worse. It behooves on us as a nation to act decisively and excise this cancer of school abductions from our polity with clinically precise policies.
We must also stop paying ransom at random. It is a short term solution that will cause much long term destruction. We must as a nation impose law and order now, or we will bequeath lawlessness and disorder to the next generation. And may God forbid that.
Atiku Abubakar
Vice President Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999-2007)
