₦airaland Forum

Let me put facts on the table this morning.

Last Friday, November 21st, armed men stormed St. Mary's Catholic School in Niger State at 2 AM. They took 303 students and 12 teachers. This is now the largest school abduction in Nigerian history, surpassing even Chibok.

As of today, 253 children and 12 teachers are still missing.

Here's what happened in the past week:

November 17 - 25 schoolgirls kidnapped in Kebbi State
November 19 - Gunmen attack Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara during service, kidnap worshippers
November 20 - President cancels G20 trip to "coordinate security response"
November 21 - 303 students taken from Niger State
November 22-24 - 50 children escape or are released

The timeline raises questions:

The President cancelled an international summit to handle security. After the cancellation, the largest school kidnapping in our history occurred. What security coordination happened?

All schools in Niger State are now closed indefinitely. Kebbi has closed schools. Parts of Yobe have closed schools. So education stops because we cannot protect children going to learn?

The government spends billions monthly on security votes across 36 states. Yet armed groups can load 303 people into vehicles at 2 AM without resistance from any security agency.

This same week, a court sentenced Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment for sedition and incitement. Meanwhile, the actual kidnappers who took 253 children operate freely with weapons, vehicles, and organized networks.

International attention is now on Nigeria. Trump has made statements about potential intervention. South Africa made diplomatic moves at the G20. Our internal security crisis has become a foreign policy problem.

The exchange rate hit 1,465 naira to the dollar on the parallel market this week. Our currency weakens while our security deteriorates. The two are connected - investor confidence, brain drain, economic stability all depend on basic security.

But here's what matters most:

253 families haven't slept properly since Friday. Parents don't know if their children are alive. Teachers who went to work are now hostages. These are real people, not statistics.

The children range from 10 to 18 years old. They went to school to learn. That's all they did. Go to school.

I'm not here to play politics or take sides. I'm stating facts:

If a government cannot protect children in schools, that government has failed its most basic responsibility. This applies to every administration, past and present.

The pattern is clear - kidnap, negotiate, ransom, release, repeat. It's been happening for years. The strategy hasn't changed because it works. For the criminals.

Some will say "what's the solution?" Fair question. But before solutions, we need acknowledgment. This is a crisis. Not a "situation we're monitoring." A crisis.

253 children are missing as I type this. They're somewhere in a forest, scared, hungry, unsure if they'll see their families again.

Everything else is noise.

What do you think needs to happen? Not political rhetoric - actual, practical steps.

I'm genuinely asking because I don't have all the answers. But I know this: what we're doing n working.
Let me put facts on the table this morning.

Last Friday, November 21st, armed men stormed St. Mary's Catholic School in Niger State at 2 AM. They took 303 students and 12 teachers. This is now the largest school abduction in Nigerian history, surpassing even Chibok.

As of today, 253 children and 12 teachers are still missing.

Here's what happened in the past week:

November 17 - 25 schoolgirls kidnapped in Kebbi State
November 19 - Gunmen attack Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara during service, kidnap worshippers
November 20 - President cancels G20 trip to "coordinate security response"
November 21 - 303 students taken from Niger State
November 22-24 - 50 children escape or are released

The timeline raises questions:

The President cancelled an international summit to handle security. After the cancellation, the largest school kidnapping in our history occurred. What security coordination happened?

All schools in Niger State are now closed indefinitely. Kebbi has closed schools. Parts of Yobe have closed schools. So education stops because we cannot protect children going to learn?

The government spends billions monthly on security votes across 36 states. Yet armed groups can load 303 people into vehicles at 2 AM without resistance from any security agency.

This same week, a court sentenced Nnamdi Kanu to life imprisonment for sedition and incitement. Meanwhile, the actual kidnappers who took 253 children operate freely with weapons, vehicles, and organized networks.

International attention is now on Nigeria. Trump has made statements about potential intervention. South Africa made diplomatic moves at the G20. Our internal security crisis has become a foreign policy problem.

The exchange rate hit 1,465 naira to the dollar on the parallel market this week. Our currency weakens while our security deteriorates. The two are connected - investor confidence, brain drain, economic stability all depend on basic security.

But here's what matters most:

253 families haven't slept properly since Friday. Parents don't know if their children are alive. Teachers who went to work are now hostages. These are real people, not statistics.

The children range from 10 to 18 years old. They went to school to learn. That's all they did. Go to school.

I'm not here to play politics or take sides. I'm stating facts:

If a government cannot protect children in schools, that government has failed its most basic responsibility. This applies to every administration, past and present.

The pattern is clear - kidnap, negotiate, ransom, release, repeat. It's been happening for years. The strategy hasn't changed because it works. For the criminals.

Some will say "what's the solution?" Fair question. But before solutions, we need acknowledgment. This is a crisis. Not a "situation we're monitoring." A crisis.

253 children are missing as I type this. They're somewhere in a forest, scared, hungry, unsure if they'll see their families again.

Everything else is noise.

What do you think needs to happen? Not political rhetoric - actual, practical steps.

I'm genuinely asking because I don't have all the answers. But I know this: what we're doing now isn't

Thanks to your president Trump.

Do you hear him talk about that?

Flangelo12:
Thanks to your president Trump.

Do you hear him talk about that?

@Flangelo12 - Fair point, but you're missing the bigger picture.

Trump's statement isn't the issue. It's a symptom. When foreign leaders start making threats about your internal security, it means the situation is beyond bad.

But forget Trump for a second. Answer me this:

How did armed men load 303 people into vehicles at 2 AM without any security agency stopping them? We spend billions monthly on security votes across 36 states. Where was the intelligence? Where were the checkpoints? Where was the response?

The President cancelled an international summit specifically to "coordinate security." That was November 20th. The very next day, the largest school kidnapping in Nigerian history happened. So what coordination actually occurred?

I'm not pointing fingers at one person or party. I'm asking basic questions that every Nigerian should be asking:

Why can we sentence someone to life imprisonment for talking on radio, but actual terrorists with AK-47s and trucks operate freely?

Why are three states now closing ALL schools because we can't protect children?

253 families can't sleep. Those children went to school to learn. That's it. Just to learn.

So again - Trump aside, Tinubu aside, politics aside - what practical steps should Nigeria take RIGHT NOW to get these children back and prevent this from happening again?

Because whatever we're doing clearly isn't working

I've been doing more research on this.

The kidnappers demanded ₦30 billion initially. That's roughly $20 million at current exchange rates.

For context:
- Average state security vote = ₦5-7 billion per month
- 36 states = ₦180-252 billion monthly on "security"
- Yet we're negotiating with criminals who can kidnap 303 people without resistance

The economics don't make sense. If we're spending this much on security, how are these networks still operating at this scale?

Also found out: St. Mary's Catholic School had requested additional security measures three times this year. All requests were denied due to "budget constraints."

Budget constraints. While governors collect billions in untraceable security votes.

Make it make sense.

Easyinfoguide:
@Flangelo12 - Fair point, but you're missing the bigger picture.

Trump's statement isn't the issue. It's a symptom. When foreign leaders start making threats about your internal security, it means the situation is beyond bad.

But forget Trump for a second. Answer me this:

How did armed men load 303 people into vehicles at 2 AM without any security agency stopping them? We spend billions monthly on security votes across 36 states. Where was the intelligence? Where were the checkpoints? Where was the response?

The President cancelled an international summit specifically to "coordinate security." That was November 20th. The very next day, the largest school kidnapping in Nigerian history happened. So what coordination actually occurred?

I'm not pointing fingers at one person or party. I'm asking basic questions that every Nigerian should be asking:

Why can we sentence someone to life imprisonment for talking on radio, but actual terrorists with AK-47s and trucks operate freely?

Why are three states now closing ALL schools because we can't protect children?

253 families can't sleep. Those children went to school to learn. That's it. Just to learn.

So again - Trump aside, Tinubu aside, politics aside - what practical steps should Nigeria take RIGHT NOW to get these children back and prevent this from happening again?

Because whatever we're doing clearly isn't working

Whenever you bring the Kanu matter, it means you are trying to be deceptive.

All criminals deserve to be punished.

It's not about those who were caught.

We should be talking about getting the others.

Don’t worry. I will argue about politics until the children fall out of their hiding place. I am not John Rambo. I wasn’t trained in the military. Even if I was, I would wait for orders before any engagement. As such, I will type my grievances online with the hope that corrupt systems and protocols for inequality magically disappear.

eepeepook:
Don’t worry. I will argue about politics until the children fall out of their hiding place. I am not John Rambo. I wasn’t trained in the military. Even if I was, I would wait for orders before any engagement. As such, I will type my grievances online with the hope that corrupt systems and protocols for inequality magically disappear.

Flangelo12:
Whenever you bring the Kanu matter, it means you are trying to be deceptive.

All criminals deserve to be punished.

It's not about those who were caught.

We should be talking about getting the others.

reply to flangelo12 & eepeepook:

let’s be clear — i'm not here to trade insults or join the usual political fan club fights. i'm focused on one thing:

253 children and 12 teachers are still in captivity.

you can twist the kanu angle, bring up trump, or start the usual “support your candidate” routine… but that doesn’t change the fact that armed men carried out the largest school kidnapping in nigeria without meeting resistance.

my question remains untouched:

how did 303 people get moved at 2 am without a single interception from any security unit we fund monthly with billions?

that’s not deception.
that’s not tribalism.
that’s not politics.
that’s performance — or lack of it.

if we agree all criminals deserve punishment, then let it apply everywhere, not selective outrage.

and to the person saying “i’m not john rambo” — nobody asked you to be.
but we can at least agree that:

shutting down schools across multiple states is not normal,

negotiating with terrorists every few months is not normal,

and pretending this is “business as usual” is why it keeps happening.


i’m raising questions every citizen should ask, regardless of tribe, party, or preference.

if some prefer to argue politics till morning, that’s their choice.
i prefer to focus on the 253 children who cannot argue back because they are in a forest somewhere praying for rescue.

everything else is distraction.


Let’s be clear — i'm not here to trade insults or join the usual political fan club fights. i'm focused on one thing:

253 children and 12 teachers are still in captivity.

you can twist the kanu angle, bring up trump, or start the usual “support your candidate” routine… but that doesn’t change the fact that armed men carried out the largest school kidnapping in nigeria without meeting resistance.

my question remains untouched:

how did 303 people get moved at 2 am without a single interception from any security unit we fund monthly with billions?

that’s not deception.
that’s not tribalism.
that’s not politics.
that’s performance or lack of it.

if we agree all criminals deserve punishment, then let it apply everywhere, not selective outrage.

and to the person saying “i’m not john rambo” nobody asked you to be.
but we can at least agree that:

shutting down schools across multiple states is not normal,

negotiating with terrorists every few months is not normal,

and pretending this is “business as usual” is why it keeps happening.


i’m raising questions every citizen should ask, regardless of tribe, party, or preference.

if some prefer to argue politics till morning, that’s their choice.
i prefer to focus on the 253 children who cannot argue back because they are in a forest somewhere praying for rescue.

everything else is distraction

Let me ask a question that nobody here wants to touch and maybe that’s exactly why we’re stuck in this cycle.

Do we even realize that, at this point, kidnapping has become a business model in Nigeria?

Think about it:

Schools shut down.

Communities go silent.

Negotiators appear out of nowhere.

Ransom is paid.

Headlines fade.

Everybody moves on.

Then… another kidnapping.


Same script. Same actors. Same outcome.

And we the citizens spend more time defending politicians on Nairaland than demanding results from the people we pay with taxes and votes.

Here’s the hard truth nobody wants to admit:

If 303 children can disappear in the night… the entire country is vulnerable.

Today it's Niger.
Tomorrow it could be anywhere.
Kaduna proved it. Zamfara proved it. Yobe proved it. Now Niger State is proving it again.

So before anybody replies with
“my candidate, your candidate,”
or
“left vs right, Tinubu vs Atiku,”
ask yourself:

When did we become so emotionally loyal to politicians that we forgot to be loyal to children?

Because if 253 kids are sleeping on bare ground right now in a forest cold, hungry, terrified and the only thing people can argue about is party politics, then truly, the crisis is not only in the forest.

It’s in our mindset.

Here’s what I want to know sincerely:

Do you believe Nigeria can still fix this security collapse with the same approach we’ve been using since 2014?

Yes or no.

No explanations.
No political slogans.
No long story.

Just answer yes or no and tell me why.

Let’s see how many of us are truly thinking… and how many are just typing.

You’re busy aguring politics with this thread. We are all in this together.

Easyinfoguide:
reply to flangelo12 & eepeepook:

let’s be clear — i'm not here to trade insults or join the usual political fan club fights. i'm focused on one thing:

253 children and 12 teachers are still in captivity.

you can twist the kanu angle, bring up trump, or start the usual “support your candidate” routine… but that doesn’t change the fact that armed men carried out the largest school kidnapping in nigeria without meeting resistance.

my question remains untouched:

how did 303 people get moved at 2 am without a single interception from any security unit we fund monthly with billions?

that’s not deception.
that’s not tribalism.
that’s not politics.
that’s performance — or lack of it.

if we agree all criminals deserve punishment, then let it apply everywhere, not selective outrage.

and to the person saying “i’m not john rambo” — nobody asked you to be.
but we can at least agree that:

shutting down schools across multiple states is not normal,

negotiating with terrorists every few months is not normal,

and pretending this is “business as usual” is why it keeps happening.


i’m raising questions every citizen should ask, regardless of tribe, party, or preference.

if some prefer to argue politics till morning, that’s their choice.
i prefer to focus on the 253 children who cannot argue back because they are in a forest somewhere praying for rescue.

everything else is distraction.


Let’s be clear — i'm not here to trade insults or join the usual political fan club fights. i'm focused on one thing:

253 children and 12 teachers are still in captivity.

you can twist the kanu angle, bring up trump, or start the usual “support your candidate” routine… but that doesn’t change the fact that armed men carried out the largest school kidnapping in nigeria without meeting resistance.

my question remains untouched:

how did 303 people get moved at 2 am without a single interception from any security unit we fund monthly with billions?

that’s not deception.
that’s not tribalism.
that’s not politics.
that’s performance or lack of it.

if we agree all criminals deserve punishment, then let it apply everywhere, not selective outrage.

and to the person saying “i’m not john rambo” nobody asked you to be.
but we can at least agree that:

shutting down schools across multiple states is not normal,

negotiating with terrorists every few months is not normal,

and pretending this is “business as usual” is why it keeps happening.


i’m raising questions every citizen should ask, regardless of tribe, party, or preference.

if some prefer to argue politics till morning, that’s their choice.
i prefer to focus on the 253 children who cannot argue back because they are in a forest somewhere praying for rescue.

everything else is distraction

At op., this administration has reduced Nigerians to the level of thinking about the survival of their family unit alone. Things are hard
Empathy is zero level across board