The Niger State Government has defended its accusation that St. Mary’s School in Papiri, Agwara Local Government Area, ignored a security directive issued weeks before the mass abduction of pupils, insisting that the management failed to act on crucial intelligence. The government’s position followed widespread outrage after armed men stormed the school, abducting several pupils and throwing the community into fear and uncertainty.
Speaking through senior state officials on Thursday, the governor said intelligence reports pointing to imminent attacks had been circulated to vulnerable schools long before the incident. He explained that the warnings were not arbitrary but emerged from “credible and actionable intelligence” gathered by security agencies monitoring the movement of criminal elements within forest corridors linking Niger State to neighbouring states.
According to the statement, the governor insisted that St. Mary’s School violated the directives by refusing to suspend physical learning activities. “We issued a closure directive based on actionable intelligence. Any school that disregarded that instruction exposed its pupils to danger. This tragedy could have been avoided,” the governor said. He added that his administration was “deeply pained” by the incident and was already working with security forces to rescue the abducted children safely.
But the governor’s remarks sparked immediate backlash from Nigerians, who accused the government of shifting responsibility rather than admitting systemic security failures. One of the most viral reactions came from Esegbona Luis (@esegbona_luis), who wrote, “Failed leaders, make una no worry e go reach everybody turn,” criticising the state’s response and expressing frustration over frequent leadership lapses.
Another user, DREY_OF_LIFE (@DamilareTiamiy3), questioned the logic behind blaming the school. “No be only to dey condemn. What’s the solution to this insecurities?” he asked, highlighting the public’s exhaustion with government statements lacking concrete action. His comment mirrored the sentiments of many parents who feel unsafe sending their children to school.
Similarly, Razzi Of Anambra (@dozierem) challenged the timing of the government’s comments. “Is this the time to point fingers or blame someone?” he asked, noting that families were still in distress and expecting decisive action, not accusations. His reaction pointed to a broader belief that government leaders often speak insensitively after tragedies.
Another Nigerian, Queen Bee 👑🐝 (@RealQueenBee__), was more scathing. “It’s in their character. Blame the victim and praise the aggressor. Shameless people,” she wrote, accusing leaders of habitual avoidance of responsibility. Her comment gained traction among users who believe state authorities should acknowledge their failures instead of deflecting blame.
More criticism followed from smoke_thug420 (@smoke_thug709), who implied that the governor was unaffected personally. “Him pikin no dey among na why,” he wrote, suggesting that leaders fail to act seriously because their own children are not in public schools vulnerable to attacks. His comment reflected class-based distrust between citizens and political elites.
In another angry reaction, Oriyoms (@Oriyoms01) questioned the logic behind the governor’s explanation. “You that supposed to protect your state blaming it, for what?” he asked in disbelief. Many residents echoed this, arguing that the government has the primary responsibility to secure communities, borders, and schools regardless of any directive.
Similarly, tinzo (@martinzolyrics) dismissed the governor’s justification as inadequate. “Oga your statement says weeks earlier, so you mean schools are supposed to remain shut indefinitely without the state providing a solution?” he wrote. “All of you sir in your comfort zone and do nothing.” His comment reflected anger over prolonged insecurity that has kept many communities unsafe for years.
Another pointed critique came from VIRA9JA (@vira9ja), who questioned the morality of blaming an unarmed school for the attack. “How do you blame an unarmed school for the crimes of fully armed terrorists?” he asked. “This is classic Nigerian leadership… when they fail, they point fingers, when they’re needed, they disappear.” He concluded by saying, “Government exists to protect lives, not to lecture victims after tragedy.”
Yet, not all comments were entirely one-sided. Oladele. A (@dele003) acknowledged that the school may have failed to comply with the directive but insisted the government must prioritise rescuing the abducted children. “They should have listened to the security warnings in the first place, but the government should also do the needful to ensure all abducted children are brought back safely as soon as possible,” he wrote.
Adding to the criticism, Oladapo Olayinka (@MusodiqOladapo) said the state government’s remarks sounded like deflection. “The government’s finger pointing at St. Mary’s for ignoring the closure directive feels like deflection when they’ve failed to secure our borders, forests, and schools for years,” he wrote. “Intelligence warnings? Sure. But where’s the enforcement? The patrols?” he asked, accusing the government of insufficient action.
Joining the debate, Grow☘️ With Joshh (@TrinityFXB) argued that if the state truly had credible intelligence, then simply issuing a directive was not enough. “If you truly issued a warning weeks earlier and the school refused to listen, for the sake of the welfare of the student should you not have closed down the school altogether?” he asked. He argued that the state should not leave school safety to voluntary compliance.
Another user, Nze (@Nze70377551), questioned the credibility of the intelligence itself. “They had the intelligence weeks ago but couldn’t stop the attack or protect the school. Please tell me the use of such an intel?” he wrote. His comment underlined a widespread concern that intelligence in Nigeria rarely leads to prevention.
In a calmer tone, Alex Oko (@PrinceAlexino) urged the government to focus on rescuing the abducted students rather than engaging in public blame exchanges. “This is not the time to throw blames, but the time to take swift action in rescuing those students,” he wrote. His comment reflected a public yearning for action over commentary.
Meanwhile, the governor assured families that the state was working with federal security agencies, neighbouring states, and local vigilante groups to track the kidnappers’ movement. “We are deploying every available resource to ensure the safe return of our children,” he said. He added that the government was committed to preventing future attacks and strengthening school safety protocols.
As security operations intensified, education stakeholders urged the Niger State Government to rethink its approach to school safety by combining intelligence advisories with enforceable security interventions. Many argued that closure directives must be backed by monitoring, patrols, and protective deployment if children are to be kept safe in rural communities where kidnappers operate freely.
Despite the heavy criticism, the governor maintained that his administration acted responsibly and that the tragedy resulted from non-compliance with security advice. But for many Nigerians, the incident has once again exposed the fragility of school safety in the country and the lack of trust between citizens and the government when lives are at stake. Public pressure continues to mount on Niger State authorities to not only rescue the pupils but to provide long-term solutions that ensure such tragedies never occur again.
