Kidnapping: Alausa orders varsities to expel guilty students

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•Dr Tunji Alausa, Minister of Education

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By Joseph Erunke

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Minister of Education Tunji Alausa has ordered vice-chancellors, rectors and provosts of tertiary institutions across the country to immediately expel any student found culpable, after due investigation, of involvement in kidnapping or related criminal activities, declaring that Nigerian campuses must never become breeding grounds for crime.

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The minister issued the directive on Tuesday during a meeting with the pro-chancellor, governing council and management of the Federal University of Lafia, FULafia, in his office in Abuja.

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Beyond the dismissal order, the minister instructed heads of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education to establish robust internal intelligence systems and strengthen collaboration with the Department of State Service, DSS, and other security agencies to forestall criminal activities on and around campuses.

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The meeting, led by FULafia Pro-Chancellor, Hon. Lola Fibisola Akande, also focused on campus security, infrastructure, student welfare and the Federal Government’s higher education reforms.

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Declaring zero tolerance for criminality, Alausa warned that institutions that condone misconduct risk allowing it to become entrenched.

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“If you tolerate bad behaviour for too long, it becomes a culture. Any student found culpable, after due investigation, of planning or participating in the kidnapping of fellow students has no place in our tertiary institutions. Such individuals must be dismissed. Our campuses must never become safe havens for criminal elements,” the minister said.

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He stressed that while Nigerian tertiary institutions remain largely safe, recent isolated incidents involving students outside campuses demand stronger intelligence gathering and coordinated security measures.

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“We have a collective responsibility to protect every Nigerian child, from primary school to tertiary education. While our campuses remain safe, we must continue to strengthen intelligence gathering and work closely with our security agencies to ensure that students are protected both within and outside our institutions,” he added.

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The minister disclosed that he recently held strategic discussions with the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (Rtd), aimed at strengthening the Safe Schools Initiative and improving security across educational institutions nationwide.

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Reaffirming President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive against the payment of ransom, Alausa warned that negotiating with kidnappers only emboldens criminal networks and undermines the nation’s fight against insecurity.

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To further strengthen campus security, he announced that TETFund’s 2027 intervention programme would support security infrastructure projects in tertiary institutions, including perimeter fencing and other critical security facilities. He urged institutions to submit requests early for consideration.

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On power supply, the minister reiterated the Federal Government’s commitment to expanding the Energising Education Programme in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Power, noting that institutions requiring additional electricity capacity could benefit through expanded solar infrastructure, increased power generation and battery storage.

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Earlier, FULafia Pro-Chancellor, Hon. Lola Fibisola Akande, commended the Federal Government for its continued support to the university but identified inadequate hostel accommodation, power supply challenges at Campus II and insecurity as major concerns.

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She disclosed that some students were suspected to have been involved in kidnapping activities carried out off-campus, adding that recent incidents pointed in that direction. She maintained that the university strongly opposes the payment of ransom, insisting it only encourages criminality.

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Also speaking, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Isa Kida, praised the minister’s reforms and appealed for the extension of the Energising Education Programme to the institution’s second campus, alongside additional office accommodation and increased staffing to strengthen teaching, research and administration.

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Responding, Alausa advised the university to submit formal proposals under the relevant intervention programmes, assuring the institution that requests meeting the required criteria and national priorities would receive due consideration.

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The minister reaffirmed the Tinubu administration’s commitment to investing in safer schools, modern infrastructure and stronger institutions, stressing that the government would continue working with security agencies, governing councils and other stakeholders to ensure Nigerian campuses remain secure and conducive for learning.

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