13 Mass Abductions of Schoolchildren in 11 Years: Authorities ‘not doing enough’ – Bulama Bukarti

A renowned security analyst and an international researcher on security issues, Barr. Audu Bulama Bukarti has accused successive Nigerian governments of failing to confront the rising wave of terrorism and banditry, warning that the kidnap-for-ransom industry has grown into the country’s most profitable criminal enterprise.

In an exclusive interview with SolaceBase on Monday, Bukarti stated bluntly that the government has not done enough to address insecurity, which he described as worsening despite more than a decade of violence.

“The evidence is there for everyone to see,” he said. “Over the past 11 years, Nigeria has recorded 13 mass kidnappings of schoolchildren, with more than 2,000 children abducted.”

SolaceBase had reported the mass kidnapping of school children in Kebbi and Niger States by bandits

He said the scale and ease with which terrorists walk into schools and “disappear into thin air” with entire student populations is a direct reflection of weak intelligence response, slow reinforcement, and failure to take the fight to criminal gangs.

According to him, the kidnap-for-ransom operation has become a booming venture because perpetrators are rarely punished.

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“No business is as lucrative as kidnapping right now,” he said. “The government has failed to arrest, prosecute, and punish offenders, and that is why the industry is thriving.”

Bukarti also criticized the government’s inability to block the flow of arms, ammunition, and drugs into terrorist hideouts, made possible by porous borders and weakened ties with neighbouring countries.

He warned that unless Nigeria dismantles the financial and supply networks that drive terrorism, criminal activities will continue escalating.

“Security should not be turned into a political football,” he said, calling on the government to rebuild cooperation with neighbouring Niger Republic and other countries.

He emphasized the need for a nationwide security overhaul backed by a strong response capacity and border protection.

Bukarti concluded by urging the government to “take the profit out of this industry” and make it clear that kidnapping Nigerian children carries serious consequences.

“If we don’t act now, they will not stop at schools,” he warned. “They will move to markets, places of worship, and everywhere else.”