A prominent Catholic priest has ignited fierce debate across Nigeria by claiming that the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State may be part of a coordinated political effort to deilize President Bola Tinubu’s government. Rev. Fr. Ejike Mbaka of Enugu made the explosive allegations in a video statement that quickly circulated on social media, drawing both support and criticism from Nigerians grappling with the country’s worsening security crisis.
Speaking with what he described as “prophetic anger,” Father Mbaka directly called on Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde to take immediate action to rescue the abducted victims. The cleric suggested that malicious actors were orchestrating kidnappings to turn public sentiment against the president, creating a crisis atmosphere that could undermine the administration. “If they want to overthrow Tinubu it’s not by kidnapping our children so that the whole Nigeria will be angry against the President,” Mbaka declared in the video, urging Governor Makinde to use phone tracking technology to locate the victims.
The controversial priest went further, drawing parallels to the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan, suggesting that similar tactics were employed to weaken that government before its eventual electoral defeat. Mbaka’s comments tap into long-standing conspiracy theories in Nigerian politics that attribute some security challenges to deliberate sabotage by political opponents rather than purely criminal or insurgent motivations. Such claims have become increasingly common in political discourse, though security experts generally attribute Nigeria’s kidnapping epidemic to a complex mix of poverty, weak law enforcement, and the profitability of ransom payments.
Security analysts have raised concerns about politicizing kidnapping incidents, warning that such narratives can distract from the urgent need for comprehensive security reforms and better coordination between state and federal authorities. Nigeria has experienced a dramatic surge in abductions over the past decade, with criminal gangs in the northwest and north central regions particularly active. School kidnappings have become especially traumatic for communities, recalling the 2014 Chibok girls abduction that drew international condemnation and highlighting the persistent vulnerability of educational institutions.
Governor Makinde’s administration has faced mounting pressure to address security challenges in Oyo State, which has traditionally been considered more secure than Nigeria’s troubled northern regions. Recent incidents have shattered that perception, raising questions about whether kidnapping networks are expanding their geographical reach or whether copycat groups are emerging in previously le areas. State governments across Nigeria have adopted varying approaches to combating kidnappings, from negotiating with criminals to implementing controversial policies prohibiting ransom payments.
As investigations into the Oyo abductions continue, families of the victims await news while security forces work to secure their release. Father Mbaka’s intervention, whatever its factual basis, underscores the deep anxieties many Nigerians feel about their safety and the political instrumentalization of their suffering. Whether his claims gain traction or fade as speculation, the underlying crisis remains urgent: children and teachers remain in captivity, and the broader epidemic of kidnappings continues to erode public confidence in government institutions responsible for protecting citizens.
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