The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) has described the abduction of over 315 students and teachers from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State as the most horrifying in recent history.
The National Chairman, Falalu Bello in a statement issued Tuesday said in just a few days, the country has descended further into chaos, marked by brazen mass abductions, targeted killings, and coordinated terror attacks across several states, including Kebbi, Zamfara, Kwara, Kano, Bauchi, Yobe, Sokoto, Borno, and Niger.
He added that what is unfolding is nothing short of a systematic assault on the sovereignty of the nation and the dignity of its people.
Falalu noted: “Nigeria has now recorded one of its most horrifying waves of abductions in recent history. Over 315 students and teachers have been forcefully abducted from St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Niger State—yet another brutal attack on our children, our future, and our collective hope.
“This tragedy has been followed by the kidnapping of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi, the killing of a police officer and a vigilante in Patigi, Kwara, as well as five additional police officers in Bauchi.
“Furthermore, eight members of the Civilian Joint Task Force were killed, with three others abducted by terrorists in Gwoza, Borno State.
“In Yobe State, one policeman was killed in an attack by terrorists in Geidam. Additionally, four rice farmers were murdered in an attack by terrorists in Kwara State’s Edu Local Government Area.”
The party pointed out that these attacks were compounded by the killing of top security operatives, including Brigadier General M. Uba, and the continued infiltration of terror infrastructure from Sambisa Forest to other regions—exposing a dangerous truth: Nigeria is steadily losing control of its internal security architecture.
Falalu said for anyone to claim that “we are winning this war” was to publicly embrace delusion, dishonesty, or complicity.
According to him, The current situation is not a temporary challenge; it is a national emergency. What confronts us is not just insecurity but a complete breakdown of intelligence coordination, operational capacity, and political will.
Falalu lamented that schools have become battlegrounds, while communities are being emptied and security personnel are hunted with impunity. He noted that terrorists now operate with precision, intelligence, and confidence—an indication of insider collaboration and institutional failure.
Falalu said: “Yet, instead of decisive action, Nigeria is served a cocktail of empty assurances, superficial reforms, and endless political theatrics. While citizens live in fear, political leaders embark on needless foreign trips, indulge in petty politicking, and display a shocking disconnect from the suffering across the country. Rural dwellers are now making their own deals with bandits and terrorists simply to survive.
“While the emerging report of the release of victims from the recent attack and abduction of 37 worshippers in a church in Eruku, Kwara State may seem consoling, the report of about three persons killed during that attack and the trauma inflicted on the victims is a chilling reminder that even places of worship—symbols of peace and safety—are no longer spared from criminal invasion.
“This is not governance; it is a catastrophic dereliction of duty. The government must now respond appropriately to rescue other victims of these dastardly acts across the states, just as those in Eruku, Kwara State, have been freed.
“Whether these sustained attacks are part of an orchestrated attempt by external forces to destabilise Nigeria or a direct consequence of the government’s irresponsibility and failure to protect its citizens, the reality remains: the Nigerian state is failing in its most basic duty—securing lives and property.
“The lives and livelihoods of our citizens are no longer valued, dignified, or prioritized. These systematic and incessant attacks must be unequivocally condemned and decisively stopped.”
The PRP, therefore, the immediate withdrawal of nearly 100,000 policemen from VIP duties and their deployment to fight insurgency and banditry, as part of their core responsibility of internal security.
He said the Inspector-General of Police should be held responsible for restoring the nation’s security within six months; if he fails, he should be replaced.
The party also demanded immediate arrest and prosecution of anyone, regardless of their status, found to have aided, abetted, supported, or provided cover for terror attacks. Those who threaten Nigeria’s unity must face justice now.
It also urged the government to cease all private negotiations or engagements with terror-linked groups or individuals, regardless of intent. Such actions undermine state authority and make non-state actors stakeholders in the security process. The government must take full responsibility for all official engagements relating to national security moving forward.