NNPP chieftain Buba Galadima has criticised the closure of schools across parts of Northern Nigeria amid rising insecurity, describing the move as a failure of leadership and a shameful response from authorities.
Speaking on ARISE News’ Prime Time on Monday, Galadima said the recent wave of abductions in Niger State and other northern communities showed that the Federal Government had not prioritised the safety of its citizens.
“For me, the government has abdicated its primary responsibility of protecting lives and properties of citizens and has given 99 percent of its time to politicking,” he said.
He argued that shutting down schools should never be considered a solution, insisting that authorities should instead reinforce security in learning environments.
“In the first place, it is shameful to close down the schools—shameful on government and on authorities at every level. You can’t close down schools. What you should do is protect them,” he said.
Galadima added that leaders were taking their responsibilities too lightly.
“You shouldn’t have more than six hours for leisure. The remaining must be hands on the wheels. That we are not seeing,” he said.
He criticised the government’s continued reliance on force over intelligence-driven strategies.
He said, “Those in authority must put on their thinking cap and do the needful. They have tried this ‘gara gara’, as I call it. It did not work. It is now time to use their intellect, use technology, and protect our citizens.”
Galadima narrated an incident he witnessed in China, where CCTV systems helped track and recover a stolen bag in two airports within hours, noting that the comparison highlights how far behind Nigeria is in using technology for security.
“We are only interested in power to make money or to show you that I have arrived,” he said.
He also claimed that security operatives had intelligence before the recent Niger State attack but failed to act on it.
“Somebody was capturing them verbatim. He said they were going towards Yawuri or Ngaski. That is intelligence. The security should have moved quickly,” he added.
Galadima condemned reports that soldiers stationed at the affected school abandoned their duty post.
“Why did they leave the place? They should be court-martialled and be shot,” he said.
He stressed that Nigeria’s security framework needs urgent restructuring.
“The president should forget about physical security. We have passed that stage. We have to use technology to detect things even before they happen, and set up special squads to deal with issues as they spring up in the next five minutes,” he said.
PUNCH Online reports that at least five northern states have closed schools due to worsening insecurity, while others have directed boarding students to return home until further notice.
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