Former presidential candidate, Peter Obi, has described the abduction of UTME candidates in Benue State as a failure of leadership in Nigeria.
Obi said the incident reflects a collapse of security and governance in the country.
In a post on his X handle on Friday, the former Anambra State governor said the situation is unacceptable, especially in a country where the number of tertiary graduates remains low.
He stressed that the development requires urgent, decisive and responsible action that matches the scale of the crisis.
“The news of the abduction of innocent UTME candidates in Benue State is not just heartbreaking but a damning indictment of the failure of leadership and the collapse of security in our nation.
“Young Nigerians striving for an education are being met with terror. In a country where the share of tertiary graduates is already painfully low (about 1%) which is far below peers like Indonesia (about 13%) and South Africa (around 10%). This is unacceptable. We cannot afford to lose even one more student to violence.
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“Those entrusted with protecting these young students appear increasingly preoccupied with the next election, projecting strength and power to rig elections, rather than deploying that same power and agencies to secure our roads,prevent these crimes, and rescue the abducted children who should not be in the hands of criminals but in examination halls.
“This is no longer an isolated tragedy. It is a pattern. It is a national crisis. And it demands urgent, decisive, and responsible action, not excuses, not silence, but leadership that matches the scale of the emergency this deserves.
“A nation that abandons its youth abandons its future. This cannot continue. A new Nigeria is possible.”