Dr. Obiageli 'Oby' Ezekwesili, a former Minister of Education and co-convener of the #BringBackOurGirls movement, has launched a scathing critique against President Bola Tinubu's administration. She accuses the government of adopting a policy of appeasement towards terrorists and bandits, thereby enabling criminality instead of eradicating it.
A Strategy of Appeasement and Failure
Ezekwesili's comments, made via her social media platform X on 28 December 2025, were prompted by the recent abduction and subsequent release of pupils and teachers from St Mary’s Private Catholic School in Niger State. She argued that a capable government would have long finished off those who harm Nigerians, especially children.
"It is accurate to state that our federal and state governments, led at this time by @NGRPresident @officialABAT, are, by their appeasement strategy, enabling terrorists by rewarding their criminal behaviour," Ezekwesili stated. She emphasized that the government has a constitutional duty to protect citizens and ensure safe schools, a duty she claims has been woefully neglected since terrorism escalated in 2009.
Opacity and Corruption in Negotiations
The former World Bank Vice President particularly criticized the lack of transparency surrounding government negotiations with criminals. She lambasted officials for issuing triumphant press releases about securing victims' release without disclosing crucial details.
"All that Nigerians see is flagrant opaqueness on matters injurious to Nigeria. Terrible!" she noted. Ezekwesili, a recent recipient of a global anti-corruption award, warned that this secrecy fuels corruption on all sides of the negotiations and leaves the country more vulnerable.
She pointed out the insanity of government officials being in close proximity to deadly criminals during talks without taking action to arrest or neutralize them. "The @NigeriaGov has neither taken action nor planned arrests and prosecutions of terror perpetrators," she lamented.
The Created and Thriving 'Abduction Industry'
Ezekwesili concluded that the current security crisis is a direct result of systemic government failure. She argued that grand corruption has weakened security agencies, leading successive administrations to choose appeasement as a default strategy.
"The 'abduction industry' in Nigeria today was created and now thrives because of the complicit actions of weak and incompetent governments," she asserted. According to her, this abominable state will persist until Nigerians collectively demand better governance and confront the reality that those in power have run out of ideas to secure the nation.
Her critique serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing security challenges facing Nigeria, linking the plight of the Chibok girls from over a decade ago to the persistent pattern of kidnappings today.
