The Northern Ethnic Youth Group Assembly (NEYGA) has criticised former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi over what it described as the politicisation of Nigeria’s security challenges.

The group urged both opposition figures to emulate politicians in countries such as the United States and Israel, who, according to it, set aside political interests and supported their governments during national security crises, including the September 11 attacks in the US and the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel.

NEYGA reacted to recent comments by Atiku and Obi following attacks by gunmen on schools in Oyo and Borno states, which led to the abduction of several pupils.

While Obi accused the President Bola Tinubu administration of lacking the capacity to protect schoolchildren and turning them into “pawns in a ransom economy,” Atiku said the worsening insecurity had made a mockery of the government’s Safe Schools Initiative.

Atiku had stated that President Tinubu had “no moral or political latitude to remain in Aso Rock if abducted citizens continue to languish in captivity across the country,” insisting that the primary responsibility of government is the security and welfare of citizens.

However, NEYGA described the comments as wrong, unethical, and unpatriotic, accusing both politicians of attempting to use the plight of innocent schoolchildren as political campaign tools.
The group also alleged that both leaders contributed to the insecurity currently facing the country.

NEYGA’s position was contained in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Alhaji Ibrahim Dan-Musa.

“We are disappointed that men who have held high political offices and aspire to lead Nigeria would resort to using the plight of children, especially those in distress, to score cheap political points,” the statement read.

The group further claimed that the remarks by Atiku and Obi appeared to support President Tinubu’s allegation that some individuals were attempting to exploit insecurity to undermine his administration ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to NEYGA, the administration in which Atiku served as Vice President failed to decisively address the activities of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf at an early stage.
“Had the government in which Atiku served as Vice President nipped Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf in the bud and tackled the menace of out-of-school children early enough, perhaps Nigeria would not have found itself in this security situation,” the group stated.
On Obi, NEYGA alleged that he served as an adviser in an administration that failed to decisively confront terrorism and kidnapping.

“The same Obi who now talks about ‘pawns in ransom economy’ was part of a government that taught terrorists that money could be made from kidnapping schoolchildren,” the group alleged.
NEYGA advised both politicians to study how opposition figures in other countries respond during periods of national insecurity by supporting the government in power rather than politicising national tragedies.

The group cited examples including the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States, the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre in Israel, the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, and the 2013 Westgate shopping mall attack in Kenya.

According to the group, opposition parties in those countries rallied around their governments rather than calling for resignations during national crises.

“We find it strange and amusing that Atiku Abubakar, under whose vice presidency Mohammed Yusuf flourished, is now speaking about insecurity as though he and his administration did not nurture the monster,” the statement added.

NEYGA urged both Atiku and Obi to exercise caution and responsibility when commenting on national security matters.

Earlier, Obi, reacting to the recent abductions, lamented that schoolchildren had become “pawns in a ransom economy.”
“There is nothing more heartbreaking for a nation than an inability to protect its children,” Obi wrote.

He referred to the attacks and abductions at schools in Mussa Village, Askira/Uba Local Government Area of Borno State, and Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State as evidence of a deepening national crisis.

Atiku, in a separate statement issued through his media office, noted that no fewer than 42 schoolchildren were abducted on May 15 during attacks on Government Day Secondary School, Mussa Central Primary School, and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Secondary School in Mussa town, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

He also stated that more than 40 students and teachers were abducted from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on the same day.