The Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), the Nigerian chapter of Transparency International, has expressed deep concern over the escalating wave of violence across the country, particularly the renewed attacks on schoolchildren and the mounting pressure on the nation’s security architecture.
In a statement signed by its Executive Director and Head of Transparency International (Nigeria), Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, CISLAC warned that Nigeria’s “uncoordinated and politicised” approach to security is worsening nationwide instability and leaving millions especially children vulnerable to avoidable dangers.
Rafsanjani noted that despite constitutional provisions assigning internal security to the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigerian Army remains overstretched and deployed across nearly all states. He attributed this imbalance to persistent corruption in the security sector, long-term neglect, inadequate equipment, poor welfare conditions, and weak cooperation among security agencies.
CISLAC condemned the recent abductions in Kebbi State and the kidnapping of pupils at St. Mary’s Catholic Primary and Secondary Schools in Niger State, describing the incidents as direct attacks on education and the future of Nigerian children. Rafsanjani said the country’s already troubling rate of out-of-school children is being compounded by such violent disruptions.
The organisation also faulted the diversion of police personnel to politicians and private individuals, arguing that vulnerable communities and schools are left exposed.
Rafsanjani criticised the “commercialisation” of police roadblocks, which he said have become sites of extortion instead of protection, and urged the dismantling of such operations in favour of redeploying officers to high-risk areas.
CISLAC further decried the increasing politicisation of law enforcement, citing recent episodes in Abuja where police officers were reportedly seen supporting rival political factions. He described the trend along with the deployment of large numbers of officers to individuals rather than communities as indicative of weak police leadership and a threat to public safety.
The organisation called for urgent, far-reaching reforms across the security sector, including improved accountability, intelligence-driven operations, upgraded equipment, enhanced welfare, stronger interagency coordination and professional conduct among operatives.
Rafsanjani also urged the government to strengthen early-warning and early-response systems, noting that many attacks occur despite clear signs of impending threats.
He questioned the effectiveness of the Nigeria–U.S. Bi-National Commission, arguing that external partnerships cannot yield meaningful results unless Nigeria addresses critical governance and security gaps at home.
Rafsanjani also criticised the rising wave of political defections and the elaborate celebrations that often accompany them, saying they reflect insensitivity at a time many Nigerians are being kidnapped, displaced or killed.
CISLAC urged the federal government, security agencies, community leaders, civil society groups and international partners to work together to rescue abducted schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger States and prevent further attacks. The statement stressed that Nigeria cannot continue under what it described as weak and poorly coordinated security structures.
Rafsanjani concluded by warning that decisive action is urgently needed to secure lives, restore professionalism in security operations and rebuild citizens’ trust in governance.