Kebbi Schoolgirls Abduction: Why Saying Crime Is Everywhere Is Not Enough
By Anamati Inyang, November 20, 2025
The recent abduction of 25 schoolgirls in Kebbi State by heavily armed bandits, which tragically left one staff member dead and another injured, has once again put Nigeria’s security challenges under the spotlight. While the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafi’u Abubakar Kotarkoshi, confirmed the incident, the reaction of some political leaders has raised eyebrows.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio stirred controversy when he suggested that kidnappings and killings should not provoke despair, reminding Nigerians that crime exists everywhere.
On the surface, this may sound like a factual observation. Indeed, no society is entirely free from crime. But reducing acts of terror and targeted violence to a universal inevitability risks normalizing them. It signals complacency at a time when urgent action is required.
As citizens, we deserve more than reminders that crime is everywhere. We deserve leadership that confronts insecurity head on, that holds perpetrators accountable, and that ensures that our schools, communities, and places of work are safe.
Statements that downplay the human suffering involved in abductions and killings do little to reassure victims or restore confidence in our institutions.
Crime may be a global challenge, but context matters. The scale, frequency, and impunity of violence in parts of Nigeria demand more than philosophical acknowledgment they demand decisive policies, strategic deployment of security forces, and an unwavering commitment to protecting the vulnerable.
It is time for leaders to stop framing insecurity as an abstract inevitability. Words carry weight, and when citizens hear that crime is everywhere, it risks dulling public outrage and undermining the urgency of solutions.
Every child kidnapped, every life lost, and every community terrorized is a call to action not a reminder that crime is normal.
Nigeria can and must do better. Acknowledging the problem is not enough.
Combating it with courage, strategy, and accountability is the only path to a society where our children can learn, grow, and live without fear.
