CNG accuses FG of bias in school abduction response

By Abubakar Yunusa

The Coalition of Northern Groups(CNG )has accused the Federal Government of applying double standards in its response to recent school abductions in Oyo and Borno states, alleging unequal treatment of victims based on their location.

The group said the contrasting reactions to the abductions exposed what it described as a selective security system that prioritises some communities over others.

In a statement issued on Thursday by its National Coordinator, Comrade Jamilu Aliyu Charanchi, the coalition condemned the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in both states, describing the incidents as a reflection of the country’s worsening security crisis.

The CNG claimed that while the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oyo State attracted swift federal intervention, a similar incident in Borno State received little attention from authorities.

According to the group, about 46 pupils and teachers were abducted on May 15, 2026, from schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State. It added that on the same day, 42 pupils were kidnapped from Mussa Primary and Junior Secondary School in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

Charanchi alleged that the Oyo incident triggered immediate federal action, including the deployment of top government officials and security assurances, while victims in Borno were left without similar intervention.

“Following the Oyo abduction, the Federal Government reportedly dispatched a powerful delegation, including the National Security Adviser and the Chief of Staff to the President. The President also approved the recruitment of 1,000 forest guards for affected communities in Oyo State,” he said.

He, however, questioned what comparable measures had been taken for communities in Borno affected by the abduction.

“Where are the emergency security deployments? Where are the high-powered federal delegations? Where are the special interventions and assurances for grieving Northern communities that have suffered repeated terrorist attacks, mass kidnappings and killings for years?” he asked.

The coalition maintained that every Nigerian life should carry equal value irrespective of geography, ethnicity or political considerations.

It warned that inconsistent responses to security challenges could deepen public frustration and undermine national unity.

The group also raised concerns over what it described as growing perceptions of regional imbalance in federal responses to insecurity.

“Nigerians are justified in asking difficult questions. Would the response have been this swift if the victims were in a remote Northern community? Is the extraordinary attention being given to Oyo connected to the fact that the President comes from the South-West?” Charanchi said.

The coalition stressed that it was not advocating less attention for Oyo State but demanding equal urgency and empathy for victims across the country.

It noted that Northern communities had endured years of attacks, school kidnappings and mass killings, often without sustained national outrage or coordinated action.

The group further argued that the spread of mass school abductions across the country was partly due to the failure to decisively dismantle criminal networks responsible for earlier attacks.

CNG urged the Federal Government to intensify rescue operations in both Oyo and Borno states and adopt a more comprehensive approach to combating terrorism and banditry.

It also called for stronger protection of schools and rural communities, intelligence-driven security operations and long-term measures to dismantle terrorist and criminal networks nationwide.

“The government must stop operating a selective security system. Nigerians in Borno, Kaduna, Zamfara, Plateau, Benue, Kebbi and Sokoto deserve the same urgency, empathy and protection being extended to Oyo State,” the statement added.

The coalition warned that continued disparities in official responses to security emergencies could further erode public confidence in the government’s ability to protect citizens and ensure justice for all.