Nigeria orders expulsion of students convicted of kidnapping

The Nigerian government has ordered the immediate dismissal of any student found guilty of kidnapping or related violent crimes following proper investigation. Education Minister Tunji Alausa issued the directive on Tuesday, August 4, during a meeting in Abuja with the Governing Council and management of the Federal University of Lafia in Nasarawa State.

The minister instructed vice-chancellors, rectors, and provosts across all tertiary institutions to reinforce internal intelligence systems and collaborate more closely with the Department of State Services and other security agencies. Alausa stated that any student found culpable of planning or participating in the kidnapping of fellow students has no place in the nation's universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education. He warned that tolerating bad behavior for too long allows it to become a culture and emphasized that campuses must never become safe havens for criminal elements.

While asserting that Nigeria's higher education institutions remain largely safe, Alausa pointed to recent isolated incidents, some involving students operating off-campus, as evidence of the urgent need for sharper intelligence gathering and...