Minister Orders Immediate Expulsion of Students Involved in Kidnapping Activities

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has given a directive to the heads of tertiary institutions across the country to expel students found guilty of participating in kidnapping or other related criminal activities. This directive was given during a meeting with the leadership of the Federal University of Lafia in Abuja. Dr. Alausa emphasized the need for stronger security measures on campuses, citing recent incidents involving students outside their institutions. He stated that it is the collective responsibility of all stakeholders to protect every Nigerian child, from primary school to tertiary education. The minister warned that any student found culpable of planning or participating in the kidnapping of fellow students, after due investigation, would be dismissed from school. Dr. Alausa also reiterated the Federal Government's stance against negotiating with kidnappers or paying ransom, as this could encourage more criminal activities. He disclosed plans by the government to support campus security projects, including perimeter fencing, through the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) 2027 intervention programme. Additionally, efforts are underway to expand the Energising Education Programme by increasing solar power generation and battery storage. Earlier, the Pro-Chancellor of the Federal University of Lafia, Lola Fibisola Akande, revealed that some students of the institution were suspected of involvement in off-campus kidnapping activities. She also identified inadequate hostel accommodation, electricity supply, and insecurity as major challenges facing the university. The Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mohammed Isa Kida, commended the minister's education reforms and appealed for the extension of the Energising Education Programme to the university's second campus. Dr. Alausa's directive is aimed at strengthening intelligence gathering on campuses and improving student safety, in collaboration with the Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies.