The Senate descended into heated debate on Wednesday as Senators Enyinnaya Abaribe (Abia South) and Garba Musa Maidoki (Kebbi South) sharply criticised the Federal Government over the unexplained withdrawal of soldiers from a Kebbi school shortly before dozens of students were abducted.

Speaking during plenary, Abaribe lambasted the Tinubu administration for avoiding accountability and shielding those responsible for lapses that enabled the attack.

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‘Stop Excusing Present Failures With the Past’ — Abaribe

Abaribe, quoting George Orwell — “In times of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act” — said Nigerians are tired of being pacified while insecurity worsens.

“We are told every day to be patriotic. We are told not to criticise. We are told to forget the past. Yet anytime we raise today’s issues, we are dragged back to 2014 and the Chibok girls,” he said.

He argued that constant references to past administrations are being weaponised to justify present failures:

“People in Kebbi were not fleeing rural areas. People in Niger were not being kidnapped daily. Why then do we avoid discussing today’s failures by blaming yesterday?”

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‘Who Ordered the Troop Withdrawal?’ — Senator Demands Accountability

Citing the Kebbi abduction, Abaribe said the government has failed to answer the most critical question:

“The governor of Kebbi said troops were withdrawn, and people were kidnapped. Till today, Nigeria does not know what happened. Nobody has been questioned.”

He insisted that leadership requires confronting wrongdoing directly:

“If I were commander-in-chief, I would demand accountability. Whoever withdrew those troops and endangered those children should be identified and disciplined. That is how a country is run.”

Abaribe added that nations are not governed by appeasement but by confronting hard truths.

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Garba Musa Backs Abaribe: ‘This Must Not Be Swept Under the Carpet’

Senator Garba Musa Maidoki, whose constituency was directly affected, supported Abaribe’s position.

Although relieved that 24 abducted schoolgirls from Maga were released unharmed, he said the central issue remains unresolved:

“Who withdrew the soldiers from Maga Primary School? On whose instruction? Nigerians want to know. We, the affected communities, want to know.”

Maidoki warned that avoiding these questions would make further school attacks inevitable:

“If we don’t get to the bottom of this, this incident will keep repeating itself.”