Former education minister Oby Ezekwesili has condemned the worsening insecurity under President Bola Tinubu, linking the surge in violent attacks and mass abductions to what she described as a “cancerous level of systemic corruption” that has crippled Nigeria’s key institutions.

Her criticism follows the recent incidents that shocked the nation, with the attack on worshippers in Kwara and the kidnapping of female schoolchildren in Kebbi.

The tragedies have also reignited global scrutiny, coming on the heels of U.S. President Donald Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a ‘country of particular concern’, citing the “mass slaughter” of Christians and warning that U.S. aid, and even military intervention, could be reconsidered if the situation deteriorates further.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday, Ms Ezekwesili said Mr Tinubu’s inability to safeguard Nigerian children amounted to “governing without legitimacy”.

“Failing to protect Nigerian children is the highest acceptance of governing without legitimacy, Mr President. Cancerous level systemic corruption that metastasised into our country’s political culture is totally imploding Nigeria. All our institutions, including our once strong military and judiciary, are now so terribly compromised,” Mrs Ezekwesili said.

The former minister, who co-convened the Bring Back Our Girls movement, also said years of warnings about Nigeria’s governance failures were ignored, leading to the current widespread insecurity and institutional decay.

Citing figures from UNICEF and Save the Children, Ms Ezekwesili noted that more than 1,680 students were abducted in 70 attacks between 2014 and 2022, while an additional 816 students were kidnapped in 22 school attacks between 2023 and November 2025.

Reflecting on more than a decade of advocacy since the Chibok girls’ abduction in 2014, she said outrage “no longer feels adequate,” arguing that the recurring kidnappings are no longer isolated security breaches but clear manifestations of state failure.

“The latest group of abducted children are not just hostages of terrorists; they are hostages of the unforgivable failure of governments and a political class that refuses to be moved. The children’s abductions are not ‘incidents’. They are proof of state collapse in its most basic duty, the protection of our greatest human asset,” she added.

The former minister insisted that after 10 years since the Chibok abduction, the Nigerian government could no longer claim ignorance or a learning curve.

“What we have is deliberate negligence, and deliberate negligence is a crime,” she said.