(DDM) – A civic discussion platform known as People’s Parliament has announced a special national dialogue to address the abduction of 315 Catholic schoolchildren in Papiri, raising fresh questions about government accountability and alleged complicity under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration.
The organizers told DDM that the event, scheduled for Monday, November 24, 2025, at 8:00 PM WAT, will examine whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s leadership and the governing APC have failed in their duty to protect vulnerable communities or whether deeper political negligence is at play.
The programme, which will hold via Zoom, is part of the group’s long-standing effort to interrogate major sociopolitical crises affecting Nigerians.
Organisers said the session aims to foster national debate on systemic insecurity, government responsibility, and the continuous wave of school abductions plaguing parts of Nigeria.
The abduction of the 315 Catholic students in Papiri has intensified already growing public frustration over insecurity, especially in northern Nigeria.
Background reports indicate that mass kidnappings of schoolchildren gained global attention in 2014 following the Chibok girls’ abduction under the Jonathan administration.
Despite promises by successive governments, including the Buhari administration and now the Tinubu government, the kidnapping economy continues to flourish.
Security analysts argue that banditry and extremist networks have expanded their operations due to weak policing, intelligence failures, and political interference.
People’s Parliament stated that the upcoming discussion will probe whether government responses to the Papiri crisis were delayed or insufficient.
The platform, which hosts national conversations every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, said the issue requires urgent civic engagement due to its implications on national security and public trust.
According to the invitation, citizens from across the world are encouraged to join the Zoom meeting or call a dedicated live line to offer real-time contributions.
The organisers described the programme as part of a broader mission to promote accountability, democratic participation, and community-driven problem-solving.
They said conversations will focus on the circumstances surrounding the mass abduction, the security lapses that enabled it, and the political actors whose decisions may have contributed to the tragedy.
The dialogue will also examine whether federal and state authorities failed to implement adequate preventive measures despite warnings of escalating threats in the affected region.
Critics argue that the Tinubu administration inherited a fragile security architecture but has not made a decisive impact in reversing trends of kidnapping and terrorism.
Opposition voices claim that the APC government has allowed insecurity to thrive due to policy inconsistencies and alleged political compromises.
Supporters of the government disagree, saying that Tinubu has introduced reforms aimed at strengthening security agencies but needs more time for results to manifest.
People’s Parliament noted that the Papiri incident represents a national emergency that transcends partisan boundaries.
They urged Nigerians to participate in the discussion to better understand what went wrong and how similar tragedies can be prevented.
The group also encouraged citizens to register as members of COPDEM through its official website as part of efforts to build a nationwide civic accountability movement.
The organisers emphasised that strengthening democratic oversight is crucial to ensuring that mass abductions do not remain a recurring tragedy in Nigeria.
As the nation awaits actionable steps from security agencies, the public continues to demand transparency, swift rescue efforts, and long-term strategies to dismantle kidnapping networks.