Who Opened the School Gate to the Mad Man, Raising Kidnap Fears in Edo Schools?

 SSS warned of mass kidnappings. Schools shut down. Then a mad man walked into a school in Iruekpen. If that's not complicity, what is incompetence?

The facts are piling up, and they stink.

1. The Memo That Shut Schools

Recently, the State Security Service (SSS) issued a memo to the Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Edo State Command. The subject was: Impending Mass Kidnapping of School Children in Edo State, Especially in Edo North.

The result? Schoolchildren and teachers were directed to stay at home for now.


2. The Man from Edo North

Ernest Ugbomoiko, 42, the same man the Edo State Police Command arrested for allegedly spreading false kidnapping alarms, hails from Edo North the exact zone flagged in the SSS memo.

Coincidence or coordination?

3. The Mad Man in Iruekpen

Shortly afterward, a "mad man" was reported to have entered a school in Iruekpen. Panic spread. Rumors of kidnappers invading schools caught fire once again.


The Question No Press Release Answers

How does a mad man enter a school undetected and unstopped?

Where was the gate? Where was the security? Where was the NSCDC that received the SSS memo?

This situation exposes the porous security environment in many of our schools. A school without a fence is a farm. A school without a gate is a highway. A school where a mad man can stroll in is a kidnapper's rehearsal ground.


Complicity or Lack of Security?

Let's call it what it is:

1. If You Knew

The SSS warned you. You shut schools. Yet one man still walked in. That's complicity. You created panic and then proved the panic justified.

2. If You Didn't Know

You received the memo and did nothing to strengthen security at the gates. That's gross incompetence. You failed Abacha's 24-hour test in broad daylight.

There is no third option.

CampusDialog Position: The Gate Is the Government

In all, our schools are not safe, and something must be done immediately.

1. Audit Every School Gate

Fence, gate, and guard. If a school lacks any of these, shut it down until it is properly secured. A mad man is the softest probe. Next time, it may be armed men.

2. Act on Intelligence Within 24 Hours

The Ibileye Rule must extend to security matters. If an SSS memo lands on Monday, by Tuesday every school gate in Edo North should have armed NSCDC personnel or police officers. No excuses.

3. Stop Using Kids as Bait

Directing children to "stay home for now" is surrender, not strategy. Secure the schools first, then reopen them. Don't empty classrooms and call it a security plan.

4. Investigate the Pattern

Ugbomoiko is from Edo North. The SSS flags Edo North. A mad man enters a school in Edo State.

This may not be random. Investigate the pattern and determine who is behind it.


The Real Kidnap

Kidnapping is not just about taking children. It is about taking education. It is about stealing a nation's future.

When the SSS warns, schools close, and a mad man tests the gate, the kidnappers have already won. They do not need to abduct a single child. They have already abducted confidence in the system.

Parents' faith in school security dies the moment a mad man can enter before a teacher does.

Secure the gate or admit that the government is serving as the kidnapper's lookout.


Ambrose Odiase, FIPMA, MANUPA, MAUA (UK)
Founding Editor/Publisher, CampusDialog.blogspot.com

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