Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the abduction of the principal of Government Secondary School, Odo-Ekina, a National Examinations Council (NECO) ad hoc official and students who were sitting for their NECO examination in Kogi State, describing the incident as a reflection of the country’s worsening security situation.

In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the attack demonstrated the government’s failure to protect lives, educational institutions and the future of Nigerian children.

He said schools and examination centres should be safe spaces for learning and academic assessment, not locations where students and educators face the threat of kidnapping.

According to the former vice president, the incident is part of a growing trend of attacks on schools, which he attributed to criminals exploiting what he described as weak security and inadequate government response.

Atiku also criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the education sector, arguing that rising examination fees, poor funding of public schools and failure to secure learning environments have undermined access to quality education.

He maintained that these challenges have created what he described as a “double burden” on Nigerian students, with many facing both financial barriers to education and growing insecurity within schools.

The former vice president further linked the country’s security challenges to what he called poor governance and weak fiscal discipline, arguing that repeated attacks on schools reflect broader failures in public administration.

He warned that continued assaults on educational institutions could encourage more criminal groups to target schools if decisive action is not taken.

Atiku called for the immediate and unconditional rescue of the abducted principal, NECO official and students, while urging the Federal Government to strengthen security around schools and examination centres nationwide.

He also called for concrete security reforms, saying Nigerians expect practical measures that will protect students, teachers and examination officials, rather than routine official statements issued after attacks.