Atiku to Tinubu: Adelabu family abduction shows no one safe under you

Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has reacted to the news of the abduction of the sister and twin nephews of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu. Daily Trust had reported how the family members of the former Minister were abducted in broad daylight in Ibadan, Oyo State capital. In a statement issued on Wednesday 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 recognizable locations. According to him, the fact that kidnappers could strike in such a prominent public space without fear of interception speaks volumes about the worsening security situation in the country. He observed that while millions of ordinary Nigerians have 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 desensitized to the suffering of ordinary citizens, should they not at least be alarmed when insecurity reaches the doorstep of one of their own?” The former Vice President lamented that across the country, families were being subjected to unimaginable trauma as kidnappers and other criminal elements operate with growing audacity. “Schoolchildren are abducted from classrooms, farmers are driven from their lands, travelers 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 characterized by excuses, propaganda, and palliatives rather than decisive action.” Atiku noted that kidnappers do not ask for party membership cards before striking. 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.” The former Vice President stressed that a government that cannot guarantee the safety of its citizens is failing in its most fundamental obligation. He decried a situation where Nigerians now budget for ransom payments the same way they budget for school fees and where parents live in constant fear of receiving devastating phone calls about their loved ones. Atiku therefore 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 lives and property. He reiterated his call for the immediate rescue of the victims and the arrest and prosecution of their abductors. He also extended his prayers and support to the Adelabu family and to countless other Nigerian families who continue to suffer the devastating consequences of a worsening security situation.