Atiku Condemns Tinubu's Handling of Kebbi Schoolgirls Crisis
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a scathing criticism against President Bola Tinubu's administration over what he describes as an "embarrassing admission" regarding the recent abduction of schoolgirls in Kebbi State. In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday, November 26, 2025, Atiku's media office accused the government of attempting to "whitewash a national tragedy" through misleading public statements.
Government Narrative Faces Scrutiny
The controversy stems from comments made by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Tinubu, during an interview on Arise News TV. Onanuga had claimed that security agencies tracked the abductors in real time and engaged in negotiations that ultimately led to the girls' release.
However, Atiku's team sharply countered this narrative, describing it as "a shameful attempt to dress up government incompetence as heroism." The former vice president's statement argued that the successful release of abducted citizens should not be treated as a trophy but rather as a sobering reminder that terrorists continue to operate freely and dictate terms to the government.
Critical Questions Unanswered
Atiku's response raised several pointed questions about the government's account of events. "Why, if the kidnappers were under surveillance, did security forces not arrest or neutralize them?" the statement demanded. The former vice president accused the administration of reducing the serious crime of kidnapping to "a routine phone call between criminals and state officials."
The media office statement further asserted that under the current administration, terrorists and bandits have effectively become an alternative government - negotiating, collecting ransom, and walking away untouched while the presidency celebrates their compliance.
The statement read in part: "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."
Propaganda Versus Reality
Atiku's office delivered a stark ultimatum regarding the government's contradictory claims: "If the security agencies truly had eyes on the kidnappers, then letting them escape is a national disgrace that smacks of complicity. And if they did not have such capacity, then Onanuga is simply manufacturing lies to cover up a monumental failure of leadership."
The statement concluded that regardless of which scenario proved true, the government's position represented "an embarrassing admission that this administration has lost control of national security" and is attempting to spin incompetence into achievement.
In his final remarks, Atiku emphasized that Nigerian citizens deserve protection, not fairy tales, urging the government to stop presenting propaganda as genuine accomplishment in security matters.
