•••as Senate probe lingers 6 months after•••How police, others shared N15bn, by Coordinator
What happened to the $30 million (approximately N144 billion) contributed by the Nigerian government in collaboration with international partners as part of efforts to secure schools against attacks and abductions? This is the question the Senate is attempting to answer amid kidnapping spree by terrorists across the country which does not spare schoolchildren. Section 88 (2) of the 1999 Constitution empowers the Senate to carry out oversight functions on government Ministries, Department and Agencies (MDAs).
With this mandate, senators are expected to ensure the MDAs do not short-change Nigerians in service delivery. The supervision was also designed to check the abuse of due process by government departments and agencies in contract awards and executions. It was created to further ensure strict compliance with extant laws of the country, especially in the application of public funds. Against this backdrop, the Senate, in December 2025, began a probe into alleged failure of $30 million (N144 billion) Safe Schools Initiative, SSI, a programme launched in 2014 to protect students, teachers, and schools from attacks and insecurity. It was generally created to ensure that children learn in a safe environment.
