Account for N144.86bn Safe Schools Fund, Atiku tells FG

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on the Federal Government to provide an explanation for the deployment of the ₦144.86bn allocated under the National Plan on Financing Safe Schools, following reports of schools being forced to close due to insecurity. Atiku highlighted the government's failure to secure schools amidst Nigeria's worsening out-of-school crisis, emphasizing that the effectiveness of the Safe Schools programme should be measured by children and teachers being able to attend classes without fear of attack.

He demanded a comprehensive account of the programme's implementation, including the amount mobilised and released, recipient agencies and contractors, covered schools, delivered security infrastructure, and achieved results. Atiku argued that merely budgeting money and announcing programs does not equate to school security and proposed a decentralized, intelligence-led security architecture driven by community intelligence.

He criticized the centralised, Abuja-driven approach, proposing functional early-warning and rapid-response systems, improved intelligence sharing, and clearly defined security and emergency-response arrangements for high-risk institutions. Atiku's criticism comes amid concerns over student safety in Borno State, where recent attacks have abducted students and staff, illustrating the direct link between insecurity and Nigeria's education crisis.

He urged President Bola Tinubu to deploy security forces to areas where kidnappers and terrorists operate, rescue abducted children, and ensure justice is served.