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The inspiration to comment on the whereabouts of our wonderful legislators at this time stemmed from our women from the North under the umbrella of Voices for Inclusion and Equity for Women (VIEW) who early this week condemned the abduction of schoolgirls from Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State. They described the incident as a direct challenge to Nigeria’s leadership and collective humanity.
In a statement by members of the group, Asmau Joda, Maryam Uwais, Mairo Mandara, Aisha Oyebode, Fatima Akilu, Kadaria Ahmed, Larai Ocheja Amusan, and Ier Jonathan-Ichaver, they expressed outrage over the weekend attack in which armed men stormed the school at dawn, killed the Vice Principal, and abducted 25 students.
The attack took place in the early hours of Monday, November 17, 2025, at the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu LGA, where gunmen killed Vice Principal Hassan Yakubu Makuku, wounded a school guard, and abducted 25 students.
The concerned women said the latest tragedy underscores the Nigerian state’s continuing failure to protect its most vulnerable citizens, insisting that the mass kidnapping “is not simply another security incident” but a brutal indictment of years of unfulfilled promises and weak implementation of the Safe Schools Initiative.
They noted that despite national grief and global attention following the mass abductions in Chibok, Dapchi, Jangebe, and numerous smaller attacks across the North, schools remain dangerously exposed. Many of the women who signed the statement were active in the #Bring Back Our Girls movement and have spent years working directly with communities traumatised by insecurity.
“More than a decade after repeated tragedies, Northern Nigeria is still one of the most dangerous places in the world for a girl to pursue an education,” the statement read. “Our daughters are once again missing. And we must ask, with pain, anger, and clarity, where are our leaders?” VIEW accused political leaders, security agencies, and northern representatives of failing to defend girls who already face significant cultural and economic barriers.
They warned that the growing pattern of abductions raises disturbing questions about whether neglect is contributing to the continued marginalisation of northern girls. The coalition demanded swift, intelligence-driven rescue operations and daily public updates, warning against the slow and poorly coordinated responses that have characterised previous tragedies.
They, in the main called on the President, the First Lady, the Kebbi State Governor, the Northern Governors’ Forum, the Northern Senators’ Forum, the Arewa House of Representatives Caucus, the Arewa Consultative Forum, and all traditional, faith-based, and security leaders, including the National Security Adviser, Chief of Defence Staff, and Inspector-General of Police, to show visible leadership. “This is not a moment for silence or excuses. The abduction of the Maga girls must be treated as a national emergency—not a political talking point or a press release moment,” VIEW stated.“Every moment these girls spend in captivity deepens their trauma and increases the danger they face.”
The group urged Nigerian women to unite and demand accountability, declaring that northern women are tired of mourning and of leaders offering condolences instead of concrete solutions.“No nation can claim to value its future while abandoning its daughters to violence,” VIEW said. “The girls of Maga must be located, rescued, and reunited with their families without delay. Nothing is more urgent. Nothing is more important.
Their return is a test of our leadership and our humanity.” There were reports of mass abduction of more students from schools in Niger and Nasarawa states at press time.
In the same vein, I would like to ask for the whereabouts of members of our federal and state legislatures at this time. We are in a representative democracy. As I have quoted authorities including Professor Ben Nwabueze several times here, the legislature is the most important arm of government in a democracy. Reason: If you take away the parliament from a representative democracy, democracy loses its steam and majesty. Members of the National and State Assemblies are the elected representatives of the people.
In a representative democracy, a parliament’s primary role is to represent the people’s interests and ensure their voices are heard. However, when a parliament loses its voice in crisis times such as we have in Nigeria now, the consequences can be dire. The people suffer, and the very fabric of democracy is threatened.
The importance of parliamentary oversight.
Here is the thing, a parliament’s oversight function is crucial in times of crisis. It ensures that the executive branch doesn’t abuse its power and that the rights of citizens are protected. When a parliament fails to exercise this function, it creates a power vacuum that can be exploited by those in authority.
Our national, state assembly members and their presiding officers have always been under fire for shirking their role as representatives of the people. We have seen a desecration of the finesse of separation of powers that has sadly become fusion of powers, which often sets off perception that there is a curious state capture by the powerful executive in Nigeria. Evidence: Officials of the Three Arms of Government most times replace our National Anthem with the President’s Anthem: ‘On Your Mandate, We Shall Stand…’ And now at this time of national crisis of security and welfare of the people, consequences of parliamentary silence are beginning to emerge with a spectre of fear of even going to work, market and schools.
