Summary
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticised the Federal Government’s approach to dealing with abductors, arguing that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is treating kidnappers far too lightly.
Atiku made the remarks in a statement issued by his spokesman, Paul Ibe, only hours after the presidency announced the rescue of schoolgirls abducted in Kebbi State last Monday.
Presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga had stated that the schoolgirls, alongside another group of students released in Niger State and about 38 worshippers freed in Kwara, were all rescued without any ransom payment.
However, in a statement released on Wednesday by the Atiku Media Office, Ibe countered the presidency’s narrative, saying, “Under Tinubu, terrorists/bandits have become an alternative government—negotiating, collecting ransom, and walking away untouched—while the presidency celebrates their ‘compliance’.”
He insisted that “No serious nation applauds itself for negotiating with terrorists it claims to have under surveillance. No responsible government congratulates itself for allowing abductors to walk back into the forests to kidnap again. Onanuga and his ilk should stop insulting Nigerians with propaganda.”
According to him, “If the security agencies truly had eyes on the kidnappers, then letting them escape is a national disgrace that smacks of complicity.”
He described Onanuga’s comments as “a shameful attempt to whitewash a national tragedy and dress up government incompetence as heroism”.
Atiku maintained that the focus should not be on celebration but on the disturbing reality that insecurity has worsened, stressing, “Truth be told, the release of abducted Nigerians is not a trophy moment; it is a damning reminder that terrorists now operate freely, negotiate openly, and dictate terms while this administration issues press statements to save face.”
He questioned the government’s claims about tracking the kidnappers, noting that if the account were accurate, then critical questions arise: “If, as Onanuga claims, the DSS and the military could ‘track’ the kidnappers in real time and ‘made contact’ with them, then the question is simple: Why were these criminals not arrested, neutralised, or dismantled on the spot?
“Why is the government boasting about talking to terrorists instead of eliminating them? Why is kidnapping now reduced to a routine phone call between criminals and state officials?”
What You Should Know
Atiku Abubakar’s statement reflects growing national frustration over persistent insecurity and the government’s handling of kidnappings.
His criticism challenges the Tinubu administration’s claim of success in rescuing abducted victims and raises concerns over whether current security strategies are enabling criminal groups to become bolder.
Atiku argues that the government’s approach empowers terrorists rather than dismantling their networks.
