The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the abduction of schoolchildren and their teachers in Oyo State, describing the incident as a reflection of the worsening security situation in the country.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the latest kidnapping highlights what he described as the government’s inability to effectively address insecurity.
Atiku also criticised reports that officials were sent to affected families with relief materials, arguing that such measures do not address the immediate concerns of parents whose children remain in captivity.
“The cruelty of such a response is difficult to comprehend. Parents whose children have been torn from their arms are not asking for rice. Mothers who do not know whether their children are hungry, sick, traumatised, or even alive are not demanding palliatives.
“Fathers who wake up every morning praying for a phone call announcing the safe return of their children are not looking for handouts. What these families need is action. What they need is leadership. What they need is a government capable of rescuing their children and bringing the criminals responsible to justice,” Atiku said.
The former vice president lamented what he described as a growing trend in which security challenges are met with inadequate responses.
Atiku said the impact of kidnappings extends beyond statistics, affecting entire families and communities.
“It is a damning verdict on this government that while criminals operate with audacity and freedom, innocent schoolchildren are abducted from their classrooms, and the official response is the distribution of rice.
“This is not governance. This is an abdication of responsibility. It is a tragic confession of failure by an administration that seems increasingly overwhelmed by the very duties it swore to perform.
“Behind every abducted child is a mother unable to sleep, a father battling despair, siblings living in fear, and a community traumatised by uncertainty,” he stated.
“These children are not numbers on a government spreadsheet. They are the hopes of families. They are the future of our nation. Every hour they spend in captivity is an hour too many,” he added.
He further warned that persistent insecurity has created an atmosphere of fear across the country.
“Today, many Nigerian parents budget for ransom the same way they budget for school fees. Farmers fear their farms. Travellers fear the highways. Communities fear the night,” he said.
“A nation cannot survive when its citizens are abandoned to criminals, and its leaders respond with public relations gimmicks,” he added.
The former vice president called on President Bola Tinubu to direct security and intelligence agencies to deploy all available resources toward securing the release of the abducted pupils and teachers.
“The government must stop treating these tragedies as routine news items. The captors must be hunted down, arrested, prosecuted, and made examples of.
“There must be consequences for those who prey on innocent Nigerians. Anything less will only embolden other criminal gangs and place more communities in danger,” he said.
According to Atiku, Nigerians are increasingly frustrated by what they perceive as inadequate efforts to tackle insecurity.
“A government that cannot protect schoolchildren has failed one of the most basic tests of leadership,” he said.
“A government that responds to abductions with rice instead of rescue operations sends a dangerous signal that it has run out of ideas. If this administration can no longer guarantee the safety of Nigerian children, then it should have the humility to admit its failure rather than insult grieving families with token palliatives,” he added.
He concluded by demanding the immediate and safe release of all abducted victims.
“Bring the children home. Bring their teachers home. Arrest their captors. Secure our schools. Restore confidence in the ability of the state to protect its citizens. Anything less is unacceptable,” Atiku said.