The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has warned that the nation is edging towards complete security collapse following the abduction of 315 students and teachers from St. Mary’s Catholic School, Niger State.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by the NBA President Afam Osigwe and the General Secretary, Dr. Mobolaji Ojibara on Monday and shared via the association’s X handle.
The NBA described the incident as “a national tragedy and a brutal reminder that children are increasingly unsafe in their classrooms.”
The association said the attack exposes chronic gaps in security intelligence, rapid response capability, and government preparedness despite years of repeated warnings.
The NBA said the latest abduction fits into a disturbing trend of coordinated attacks on schools across northern Nigeria, noting that the incident occurred barely days after gunmen stormed a secondary school in Kebbi State .
“What happened in Niger State is not an isolated event. It is the culmination of years of unheeded alerts, ineffective policies, and a national security framework unable to prevent predictable attacks,”.
The association criticised what it described as the “routine cycle of condolences and promises” that follows each tragedy, insisting that only decisive, structural action can halt the escalating crisis.
It urged the Federal Government to immediately activate a coordinated rescue operation, with transparent updates to reassure traumatised families.
The NBA also renewed Nigeria’s obligations under the Safe Schools Declaration, stressing that the country cannot afford to treat the agreement as a ceremonial pledge.
“This must now become a fully operational national policy backed by funding, surveillance, armed protection, fortified perimeters, and real-time intelligence sharing,” the association said.
Beyond the rescue effort, the NBA outlined a set of urgent measures: prosecution of all actors involved in the abduction chain; a nationwide audit of school safety standards; independent monitoring of vulnerable communities; and the establishment of school-specific emergency units jointly run by federal and state security agencies.
According to the association, Nigeria is “fast becoming one of the most dangerous places for children to learn,” a trend it said threatens the future of the country. “Silence or delayed action at a moment like this is not neutrality; it is complicity,” the statement warned.
The NBA urged authorities at all levels to treat the Niger abduction as a turning point. “Nigeria has reached a breaking point. We can no longer act surprised when the predictable happens,” it added.
