Galadima kicks against closure of schools over insecurity

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has criticised the decision by some northern state governments to shut down schools due to rising insecurity, describing the measure as unnecessary and avoidable. Speaking on ARISE News’ Prime Time programme on Monday, Galadima said the recent mass abductions in Niger State and other […]

A chieftain of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Buba Galadima, has criticised the decision by some northern state governments to shut down schools due to rising insecurity, describing the measure as unnecessary and avoidable.

Speaking on ARISE News’ Prime Time programme on Monday, Galadima said the recent mass abductions in Niger State and other parts of the North highlight the urgent need for authorities to prioritise the protection of citizens, particularly students.

He said the closure of schools reflects a failure to provide adequate security for 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 argued that rather than halting academic activities, governments should reinforce security around schools and invest in preventive measures.

He added that leadership must devote greater attention to addressing insecurity.

“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.

The NNPP chieftain also faulted what he described as an overreliance on force without sufficient intelligence gathering. He said authorities must adopt technology-driven approaches to tackling insecurity, noting that modern surveillance tools could help detect threats before they occur.

To illustrate his point, Galadima recalled witnessing a case in China where CCTV systems tracked and recovered a stolen bag across two airports within hours. According to him, such efficiency underscores the difference effective technological deployment can make.

He further alleged that security operatives had prior information indicating the movement of bandits before the recent attack in Niger State but failed to respond promptly.

“Somebody was capturing them verbatim. He said they were going towards Yawuri or Ngaski. That is intelligence. The security should have moved quickly,” he noted.

Galadima also questioned the conduct of soldiers posted to one of the affected schools, saying they should not have left their duty post.

He maintained that Nigeria’s security architecture needs a comprehensive overhaul.

“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.

Several northern states have recently announced the closure of schools or hostels over fears of possible attacks on students, following an upsurge in kidnapping incidents targeting educational institutions.