The Federal Government has directed vice-chancellors, rectors and provosts across the country to dismiss any student found culpable of kidnapping or related crimes after due investigation.

The directive was issued by the Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa, during a meeting with the pro-chancellor, governing council and management of the Federal University of Lafia, Nasarawa State, in Abuja.

According to a statement issued by the minister’s Special Adviser on Media and Communications, Ikharo Attah, Alausa also instructed heads of tertiary institutions to strengthen internal intelligence systems and deepen collaboration with the Department of State Services and other security agencies to improve campus safety.

The minister said institutions must not tolerate criminality among students, warning that failure to act decisively could encourage a culture of impunity.

“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,” he said.

While noting that universities, polytechnics and colleges of education remain largely safe, Alausa said recent incidents involving students outside campuses highlight the need for improved intelligence gathering and closer cooperation with security agencies.

“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.

The minister disclosed that he recently met with the Minister of Defence, General Christopher Musa (retd.), to develop a coordinated strategy aimed at strengthening the Safe Schools Initiative.

He also reiterated President Bola Tinubu’s directive that government institutions should neither negotiate with nor pay ransom to kidnappers, warning that such actions only embolden criminal groups.

To further improve security, Alausa announced that the Federal Government would support perimeter fencing and other security infrastructure in tertiary institutions through the 2027 intervention programme of the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund).

The directive followed concerns raised by the Federal University of Lafia’s Pro-Chancellor, Lola Akande, who disclosed that some students of the institution were suspected of involvement in kidnapping activities carried out off campus and reaffirmed the university’s opposition to paying ransom for abducted victims.