Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticized the Federal Government's handling of the recently rescued schoolgirls from Kebbi State, describing their release as anything but a victory for Nigeria's security forces.
Government's Celebration Misplaced - Atiku
In a hard-hitting statement released through his media office on Wednesday, the former presidential candidate took direct aim at Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, for characterizing the girls' freedom as a security achievement during an appearance on Arise News.
Atiku labeled Onanuga's comments as "a shameful attempt to whitewash a national tragedy and dress up government incompetence as heroism." He argued that the repeated pattern of mass abductions followed by negotiations and ransom payments demonstrates that terrorists now effectively operate as an alternative government in parts of Nigeria.
Security Claims Don't Add Up
The former vice president particularly questioned the government's claim that security agencies tracked the kidnappers in real time and established contact with them. "If, as Onanuga claims, the DSS and the military could 'track' the kidnappers in real time and 'make contact' with them, then why were these criminals not arrested, neutralized, or dismantled on the spot?" Atiku demanded.
He emphasized that no serious nation applauds itself for negotiating with criminals it claims to have under surveillance, stressing that the administration has clearly lost control of national security and now resorts to propaganda to conceal its failures.
Terrorists Becoming Alternative Government
Atiku painted a grim picture of Nigeria's current security landscape under President Tinubu's administration. "Under Tinubu, terrorists and bandits have become an alternative government — negotiating, collecting ransom, and walking away untouched — while the presidency celebrates their 'compliance,'" he stated.
He further noted that the cycle of mass abductions, ransom payments, and peaceful exits for bandits has become normalized, with officials now celebrating what should be seen as national security failures.
"No responsible government congratulates itself for allowing abductors to walk back into the forests to kidnap again," Atiku declared, adding that at a time when Nigerians desperately need protection, the government is offering them nothing but "fairy tales by moonlight."
The former vice president's comments highlight the growing frustration among many Nigerians regarding the persistent security challenges facing the country, particularly the epidemic of kidnappings targeting educational institutions.
