Children are now pawns in a deadly ransom economy – Peter Obi

By Henry Umoru

Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for the 2027 election, has once again condemned the worsening security situation in the country. He described the growing trend of Nigerian schoolchildren being used as pawns in a deadly ransom economy orchestrated by bandits.

On Wednesday night, the former Anambra State Governor posted on X, saying, “It’s heartbreaking to report yet another bandit attack in a school, three weeks after over 40 school children and their teachers are still languishing in the forest.”

He recounted a brutal incident in Kogi State, where armed bandits—disguised in military uniforms—invaded the Government Secondary School in Iluke (Kabba-Bunu LGA) during an ongoing WAEC examination. The attack resulted in the death of Vice Principal Mr Gani Anifowose, two other individuals, and an attempted mass abduction of students.

According to reports, local security forces and vigilantes successfully repelled the bandits, thwarting their abduction attempts.

Obi warned that targeting educational institutions is a direct assault on the nation’s future. Such attacks create a psychological barrier to school enrollment, exacerbating Nigeria’s out‑of‑school children crisis and disproportionately forcing young girls out of formal education due to fear.

He added, “There is nothing more heartbreaking for a nation than an inability to protect its children.”

Obi expressed his condolences to the family of the Vice Principal, stating, “May God grant his soul eternal repose.”

Vanguard News

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