"Ezekwesili Uncovers the Root of Insecurity and Abductions: 'Cancerous, Systemic Corruption'"

Table of Contents

• Corruption and Its Impact
• Institutional Decay
• Statistics on Abductions
• State Failure and Public Response
• Government Accountability

A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, has attributed the country's escalating insecurity and the ongoing mass abductions of schoolchildren to what she refers to as a cancerous, systemic corruption that has debilitated the nation's institutions.

In a post on her X account on Monday, Ezekwesili stated that corruption has significantly eroded Nigeria’s foundational values, rendering key institutions, such as the military and judiciary, severely compromised and unable to fulfill their responsibilities.

“Endemic corruption has gradually undermined the very principles upon which these institutions were established, transforming them into the ineffective entities we recognize today,” she expressed.

The co-founder of the BringBackOurGirls Movement noted that despite years of warnings regarding the repercussions of neglecting good governance, the nation is now facing the severe consequences of institutional deterioration.

The former Minister, referencing data from UNICEF and Save the Children, revealed that over 1,680 students were kidnapped in 70 incidents between 2014 and 2022, while an additional 816 students were abducted in 22 incidents between 2023 and November 2025.

She remarked that after more than a decade of advocacy following the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls in 2014, the sense of outrage has waned, characterizing the recurring kidnappings as indicators of state failure rather than mere security lapses.

“The most recent group of abducted children are not merely hostages of terrorists; they are prisoners of an unforgivable failure on the part of governments and a political class that remains unmoved, as well as a populace whose empathy has been gradually diminished,” she added.

Ezekwesili underscored that the ongoing attacks serve as a testament to the collapse of the state in its most fundamental duty: safeguarding its most valuable asset, the children.

According to her, after a decade since the Chibok abduction, the Federal Government can no longer claim ignorance or that it is still in a learning phase.

Eze Chidiebere Paul

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