Former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, has warned that the recent spike in school kidnappings in northern Nigeria may be driven by a new tactic adopted by armed groups.
He said the bandits could be seizing children as “human shields” to protect themselves from possible attacks linked to global political tensions.
Gana gave the warning on Saturday in Abuja during a reception held in honour of the Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Adewale Adeniyi, following his emergence as chairman of the World Customs Organisation Council.
The event also doubled as a fundraising dinner for the national secretariat project of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations.
Speaking at the gathering, Gana expressed concern over the sudden rise in school abductions.
He said the pattern of attacks suggested the criminals were anticipating foreign military responses after threats issued by former United States President Donald Trump.
According to him, “It should become extremely worrying, especially for elders, statesmen, and fathers of the nation to see younger ones being abducted here and there.”
He explained that he received a phone call shortly before arriving at the event.
The caller claimed that the bandits “are taking the threat from the president of the United States seriously” and may be “mobilising human shields” in response.
Gana further noted that the attackers appeared to be withdrawing into remote forests.
He stated that the movement pointed to fears that they “are going to be targeted from the air and therefore felt the need to grab a few people to be human shields.”
He urged the Federal Government to strengthen intelligence cooperation and deploy modern technology to hit the criminal networks.
Gana insisted that Nigeria now required stronger international support, saying, “Technology has gone to a point where you can be targeted from the air. And I think these people need to be targeted now from the air.”
At the same event, the Minister of Information, Idris Mohammed, said the global media had intensified pressure on the government for updates on recent mass abductions in Kebbi and Niger states.
He noted that several international organisations were requesting confirmation of figures and developments.
He told the audience that while the numbers were still being compiled, security agencies were already working to rescue the students.
Idris added that President Bola Tinubu had ordered all relevant agencies to prioritise the safe return of the victims.
According to him, “My response to them is that while we are counting those who are kidnapped, I’m telling them that by God’s grace, we are already working for them to get released. And they will be released in God’s name very soon.”
The minister also urged Nigerians to avoid narratives that portray the crisis as affecting a single region.
He said the administration was tackling the broader security challenges while economic indicators were beginning to show improvement.
The Minister of State for Finance, Doris Uzoka-Anite, also spoke at the event.
She described Adeniyi’s new international role as a significant boost for Nigeria’s influence in global customs reforms.
NIPR President, Dr. Ike Neliaku, praised Adeniyi’s leadership style, describing him as a diligent professional whose rise came through consistency and results.
Gana’s remarks come amid rising international alarm over violence in the North.
Earlier this week, US Congressman Riley Moore said the killings, especially those affecting Christian communities, were “escalating out of control.”
He warned that persistent attacks could trigger a strong policy reaction from Washington.
Moore met with Nigeria’s National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, on Wednesday to discuss counterterrorism operations and the protection of vulnerable communities.
The talks followed fresh school kidnappings, including the abduction of more than two dozen students from a girls’ secondary school in Maga, Kebbi State, earlier in the week.
Similar incidents were reported in Niger State, adding to the rising nationwide anxiety.
It could be recalled that US President Trump had recently warned that Christianity faced “an existential threat” in Nigeria and that a possible US response could be “fast, vicious, and sweet” if the killings continue.