“‘Stop Blaming Government—Blame the Terrorists’: Omokri Reacts to Kebbi Girls’ Kidnap”
By Passman Akpos
Public affairs commentator and author, Reno Omokri, has condemned the abduction of twenty-five schoolgirls and the killing of a vice principal at Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Danko-Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, calling for immediate reforms to Nigeria’s policing structure.
In a statement on Monday, Omokri described the attack as “heartbreaking and unacceptable,” extending condolences to the family of the slain vice principal and prayers to the parents of the abducted pupils.
He criticised the tendency of Nigerians to blame the government rather than the terrorists themselves whenever such attacks occur, stressing that the focus must remain on holding perpetrators accountable.
Omokri acknowledged that school abductions have reduced compared to the previous administration, noting that 881 schoolchildren were kidnapped between May 29, 2015 and May 29, 2023. However, he argued that Nigeria’s security forces remain overstretched, with fewer than half a million police officers and soldiers serving a population of over 235 million.
According to him, this shortfall makes it difficult for security agencies to respond swiftly and effectively to threats across the country’s vast landmass.
> “We need to deepen security. The time for State and Community Police has come. We must make policing as local as possible,” he said.
Omokri stressed that a centrally controlled police command headquartered in Abuja can no longer meet Nigeria’s security needs. He suggested that if Kebbi State had its own police force, the recent abduction might have been prevented.
While acknowledging improvements under the Tinubu administration, Omokri urged the President to “take the initiative and push for the establishment of State Police,” insisting that Tinubu has the political capacity to deliver the reform.
He added that with federal allocations to states having increased by over 100% under the current administration, state governments are now better positioned to fund their own policing units.
> “Mr President… please give Nigeria State and Community Police,” he appealed.
Omokri signed off the statement with his signature self-description as a “Gospeller, Deep Thinker, #TableShaker, and bestselling author,” among other titles.
