Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to take decisive action to secure the release of pupils and teachers abducted in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, warning that the country’s worsening security crisis is leaving many Nigerians fearful and vulnerable.
Gatekeepers News reports that the former presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) made the remarks in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
His comments followed the abduction of schoolchildren and tutors from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State after gunmen attacked the institutions on May 15.
The victims were kidnapped from Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Esiele; and LA Primary School in Ogbomoso. The incident sparked widespread concern and prompted the federal government to deploy a specialised security team to support rescue efforts.
Reacting to the development, Atiku said the country’s security challenges have reached alarming levels.
“Under the Tinubu administration, insecurity has ceased to be an emergency and has become a way of life,” Atiku said.
He argued that kidnappings, attacks on communities and other violent crimes have become so widespread that many Nigerians now live in constant fear.
Atiku also condemned reports that some government officials distributed bags of rice and other relief items to relatives of the abducted victims, saying such gestures failed to address the urgency of the situation.
“The cruelty of such a response is difficult to comprehend. Parents whose children have been torn from their arms are not asking for rice,” he said.
“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.”
The former vice-president said the government’s primary responsibility is to protect lives and property, adding that every kidnapping leaves lasting emotional scars on families and communities.
“These children are not numbers on a government spreadsheet. They are the hopes of families. They are the future of our nation,” he said.
“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.”
“A nation cannot survive when its citizens are abandoned to criminals, and its leaders respond with public relations gimmicks.”
“The government must stop treating these tragedies as routine news items. The captors must be hunted down, arrested, prosecuted, and made examples of.”
“A government that cannot protect schoolchildren has failed one of the most basic tests of leadership.”
Atiku called on Tinubu to direct security and intelligence agencies to deploy all available resources to ensure the safe and unconditional release of the abducted pupils and teachers.
He added that growing public frustration over insecurity reflects concerns that the government is struggling to fulfil its most fundamental obligation of safeguarding citizens across the country.
