The presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, reacted to the news of the abduction of the sister and twin nephews of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, saying no one is safe again under President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku expressed solidarity with the Adelabu family, saying the unfortunate incident exposed the frightening depth of Nigeria’s insecurity crisis.
He described it as particularly shocking that such a brazen abduction occurred in the heart of Ibadan at the bustling Challenge Bus Stop, one of the city’s busiest and most recognisable locations.
The former vice president said the fact that kidnappers could strike in such a prominent public space without fear of interception spoke volumes about the worsening security situation in the country.
He observed that while millions of ordinary Nigerians had endured the horrors of kidnapping for years, “this latest incident raises a question that the Tinubu administration can no longer evade: if government officials have become desensitised to the suffering of ordinary citizens, should they not at least be alarmed when insecurity reaches the doorstep of one of their own?”
He lamented that across the country, families were being subjected to unimaginable trauma as kidnappers and other criminal elements operated with growing audacity.
Atiku stated, “Schoolchildren are abducted from classrooms, farmers are driven from their lands, travellers are kidnapped on highways, and entire communities are held hostage by fear.
“Yet, despite these grim realities, the government’s response has too often been characterised by excuses, propaganda, and palliatives rather than decisive action.”
Atiku stated that kidnappers did not ask for party membership cards before striking.
He said, “They do not distinguish between APC members and opposition supporters. They do not care whether their victims are ministers, former ministers, traders, teachers, students, or farmers.
“The same insecurity that has turned the lives of ordinary Nigerians into a daily nightmare is now knocking on doors many in government may have assumed were beyond its reach.”
He stated that the tragedy should serve as a wake-up call for those entrusted with the security of the nation.
“If the endless cries of ordinary Nigerians were not enough to spur this government into action, one would have expected that an attack affecting the family of a former member of the administration would finally underscore the urgency of the crisis. Sadly, insecurity has become so pervasive that no one is truly insulated from its consequences.”
Atiku called on the Tinubu administration to abandon its approach to security and immediately implement a comprehensive, intelligence-driven strategy capable of dismantling kidnapping syndicates, securing vulnerable communities, and restoring public confidence in the state’s ability to protect life and property.
Atiku also advised Tinubu to listen to Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) on the spate of kidnappings and general insecurity in Nigeria.
He charged Tinubu to work on the recommendations made by CAN while he was still in office as the Nigerian president.
CAN had condemned the spate of kidnappings while calling on Nigerian leaders to ensure the immediate release of all school children abducted by gunmen across the country.
However, Atiku in a post on X, wrote, “I have just read the communique released by the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, under the leadership of His Grace Archbishop Daniel Okoh from the 2026 National Church Leaders Summit and I align with the concern and sympathies of the Church in Nigeria over the security of the lives of Nigerians.
“The demand for a comprehensive review of the nation’s security architecture, enhanced intelligence gathering, stronger inter-agency cooperation, improved operational effectiveness and greater accountability in the fight against terrorism, banditry and violent crime, are all fully in line with my position on the failure of the Tinubu-led Federal Government.”
Atiku added, “As insecurity ravages without concern for religious or ethnic differences which have been made more glaring by the 360 degrees failure of the incumbent government, I commend this noble effort to hold the ruling party accountable and encourage solidarity from all Nigerians in this regard.
‘’I enjoin other faith organisations especially of the Muslim block to lend their voices to this wake-up call.
“On behalf of the political opposition whom Tinubu has ignored as well as the Nigerian people, I urge Tinubu to listen to this urgent call from CAN and diligently ponder his courses of action beyond rhetoric, at least for his remaining months in office.”
Chuks Okocha, Sunday Aborisade, Onyebuchi Ezigbo, Folalumi Alaran
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