New worries over the way the federal government has dealt with the kidnappings of schools have surfaced.
Authorities are believed to have responded differently to separate attacks in the states of Oyo and Borno.
Many in Borno State, including security professionals, civil society groups, and individual citizens, are upset about this new development since they feel the North-East abduction victims are not getting the same treatment as those in Oyo.
According to the Footynaija, on May 16, armed individuals stormed Baptist Nursery and Primary School, L.A. Primary School, Community Grammar School, and Baptist Nursery and Primary School in the Esiele and Yawota towns of Oyo State’s Oriire Local Government Area, abducting 46 students and instructors.
The tragedy rocked the entire state and rekindled fears about the security of schools in remote areas.
In Borno State’s Askira/Uba Local Government Area, 42 kids and teachers were kidnapped when suspected Boko Haram militants stormed Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School that same day.
There have been years of military efforts to restore peace in the North-East, but rebel groups still remain a threat, as this attack demonstrated.
Both abductions happened within a few hours of one other, according to DAILY POST’s findings, placing them among the most notable school abductions that the nation has witnessed so far this year.
What followed, though, was a barrage of criticism from the general population.
President Bola Tinubu wasted little time in directing coordinated rescue operations and sending a powerful federal delegation to the towns in Oyo State that were hit.
Members of the delegation included Sunday Dare, the Presidential Adviser on Public Communications, Joseph Tegbe, the Chief of Defence Staff Christopher Musa, Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu, and Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila.
While in Ogbomoso, the group met with the president and then travelled to the impacted areas on May 31 to reassure locals that the government was doing all it could to get the victims released and punish those responsible.
President Tinubu authorised the hiring of 1,000 forest guards in Oyo State to bolster monitoring and protection of vulnerable populations, as one of the urgent steps announced following the visit.
In order to step up the search for the kidnapped students and instructors, he also ordered the deployment of a highly trained security rescue squad.
Despite the widespread praise for the Oyo intervention, it raised concerns regarding the way the federal government dealt with the kidnapping in Borno State, where 42 students were being held captive for weeks following the incident.
According to Footy’s research, locals in Askira/Uba and other areas of Southern Borno have long voiced their dismay at what they see as a lack of national solidarity with the kidnapped students and their families.
A number of organisations voiced their concerns in a public forum, including the Borno State Network of Civil Society Organisations.
No matter where they are located, the victims of both tragedies should receive equal treatment, said its chairman, Abubakar Suleiman.
The head of civil society pointed out that despite the serious security situation in Borno, no federal delegation had ever visited the state. In contrast, Oyo’s team comprised some of the country’s top security officials.
He begged the government to communicate with the families affected and keep them apprised of the rescue operations’ progress.
Political analyst Abubakar Kareto shared these worries, stating that the two events demonstrated the official government’s perceived lack of fairness in handling security threats.
Even though they happened on the same day and targeted innocent youngsters, he noted that the country reacted differently to the two assaults.
He claims that the Borno kidnapping was mostly handled with normal condemnations, in contrast to the swift high-level attention and increased security measures given to the Oyo tragedy.
He expressed concern that these views could make displaced and insurgent groups feel even more neglected.
Femi Falana, a senior advocate in Nigeria, took a similar stance, urging President Tinubu to apply the same security measures that were approved for Oyo State to Borno.
To show their support for the people of Borno, Falana demanded that the federal government send a delegation to the state and hire 1,000 forest guards.
To tackle terrorists hiding in isolated jungles, he said, and to persuade locals that the nation is protecting them equally, swift action was required.
In a visit to the impacted areas, representatives from the Borno State Government met with parents, community leaders, and military authorities to reassure the populace that rescue operations were continuing.
Fear persists despite these endeavours across Southern Borno. People are afraid that unless we take better security measures, our schools and towns may be targeted again.
Keeping their children safe or allowing them to continue their education is a tough dilemma that many parents must now make.
The security crises in Borno and Oyo have brought attention to the increasing vulnerability of rural schools in Nigeria, according to experts.
Authorities should prioritise prevention by gathering intelligence, improving surveillance, deploying security personnel, and strengthening community-based security systems, they say, but rescue efforts are still crucial.
According to experts, the real problem is in making sure that all locations that are dealing with comparable challenges receive the same kind of solutions.