Senate Opens In-Depth Probe Into Safe School Initiative Over Rising School Attacks

Senate Opens In-Depth Probe Into Safe School Initiative Over Rising School Attacks

The Senate on Wednesday commenced a comprehensive investigation into the Safe School Initiative (SSI), expressing strong concern over the programme’s inability to prevent recurring attacks and mass abductions in schools despite years of funding and policy commitments.

Presiding over the inaugural sitting of the ad-hoc committee, Chairman and former Abia State Governor, Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, vowed that the Senate would uncover all issues surrounding the initiative’s implementation and ensure full transparency.

Kalu noted that over 1,680 students have been kidnapped and 180 schools attacked since 2014, describing the situation as a national embarrassment.

> “It is unacceptable that our schools remain soft targets for terrorists and kidnappers,” Kalu said.

“We will track every naira and every dollar allocated to the Safe School Initiative. Nigerians deserve to know why, despite enormous investment and global support, our schools remain unsafe.”

Scope of the Investigation

The committee will conduct a full financial and operational audit involving federal ministries, state governments, security agencies, and civil society organizations. Key areas to be reviewed include:

Utilisation of funds allocated since 2014

Deployment and effectiveness of security personnel

Early warning and emergency response systems

Infrastructure upgrades in vulnerable schools

Partnerships with international donors and the private sector

Kalu stressed that the probe is aimed at strengthening accountability, not targeting individuals or institutions.

> “This is not a witch-hunt. We owe Nigerian parents the responsibility to guarantee that their children can pursue education without fear. We will not rest until we get answers,” he assured.

Trigger for the Probe

The investigation follows widespread outrage over the recent abduction of 25 female students from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State, where bandits also killed the school’s vice principal.

During plenary, lawmakers questioned how SSI funds had been used given the continued attacks.

Senator Yahaya Abdullahi (APC, Kebbi North), who raised an urgent motion on the incident, described the attack as “a dirty slap on the face of the nation.”

> “A nation that cannot secure its children is not worth living in. This is a wake-up call,” he declared.

Former Senate President and Chairman of the Defence Committee, Dr. Ahmad Lawan, echoed the need for a full audit.

> “Since schools are still not safe for our pupils, we must investigate the funds released and how they were utilized,” Lawan stated.

Committee Composition and Mandate

The Senate, presided over by Godswill Akpabio, constituted an 18-member ad-hoc committee chaired by Senator Kalu. Members include Senators Tony Nwoye, Yemi Adaramodu, Harry Ipalibo, Ede Dafinone, Mustapha Saliu, Diket Plang, Binus Yaroe, Kaka Shehu, Musa Garba Maidoki, among others.

The committee has four weeks to submit a detailed report and recommendations for overhauling the Safe School Initiative.

Background of the Safe School Initiative

Launched in May 2014 following the Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction, the SSI was designed as a government–UN–private sector partnership to secure schools in high-risk areas.

Initial funding (2014): $10 million

Funds mobilized (2014–2021): Over $30 million

Federal allocation (2023–2026): ₦144 billion

Despite these investments, insecurity around schools has worsened, prompting renewed scrutiny.

Senator Kalu reaffirmed the committee’s resolve to reposition the programme.

 “Our goal is simple: to make Nigerian schools safe, secure, and conducive for learning. Nothing short of genuine accountability will suffice.”

The committee’s findings are expected to play a pivotal role in reshaping Nigeria’s national security strategy for the education sector.