Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, has said that President Bola Tinubu inherited schoolchildren abductions amongst others security challenges from past government of the Peoples Democratic Party. 

Mr Ribadu, who was a member the delegation sent to visit Oyo State ober the abduction of 46 schoolchildren and staff on Sunday, said schoolchildren abductions and other insecurity crisis rocking the country started two decades ago. 

“Mr President doing wonderful, strong things that will help us over come these challenges. Most of these things we inherited them. It is not today. These evil people have been with us for two decades or more,” Mr Ribadu said.

The NSA further assured Nigerians that the government is making efforts to flush out bandits and terrorists ravaging the country.

“We will defeat evil. We will never allow them. They are one their way out, I can assure you,” Mr Ribadu said.

Two decades ago, former President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party was in power. He was ousted from office by Mr Tinubu’ party man, late former President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives in 2015. 

Since then, Mr Tinubu’s APC has been at the helm of affairs in the country.

Though mass abductions of schoolchildren predated Mr Tinubu’s presidency, starting with the 2014 kidnapping of Chibok schoolgirls in Borno under Mr Jonathan, the problem continued under Mr Buhari and has become a reoccurring issue under Mr Tinubu’s watch.

Last week, Peoples Gazette reported that almost 600 schoolchildren have been kidnapped in various coordinated mass abductions perpetrated by bandits and Boko Haram terrorists since Mr Tinubu assumed office three years ago.

Per reported cases, the number of schoolchildren and students abducted in the past three years under Mr Tinubu’s watch amounts to 597. This shows that an average of 199 students were abducted every year since Mr Tinubu assumed office.