The recent kidnapping of students and teachers in Ogbomoso, Oyo State, and the ruthless murder of innocent Nigerians in Katsina State, including a pregnant mother, have been denounced by former Nigerian vice president Atiku Abubakar.
In a statement released on Tuesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku characterized the events as another evidence that Nigeria is suffering under a government that has limited leadership to press releases following catastrophes.
Atiku said he was especially devastated by the news of the horrific murder of one of the teachers kidnapped in the Ogbomoso kidnapping incident, criticizing President Bola Tinubu’s administration for how it is addressing the nation’s insecurity issues. He described the ongoing violence throughout the nation as not just a breakdown of security but a terrifying collapse of leadership at the highest level.
The former vice president expressed his annoyance and urged President Tinubu to take action instead of waiting for the criminal to launch an attack and make unnecessary remarks.
He believes that Nigerians should have a leader who can protect and ensure their safety.
“President Tinubu’s response to armed criminals kidnapping schoolchildren, killing innocent people, and turning communities into graveyards is still the same worn-out ritual: denounce the killings, threaten the perpetrators with the “full wrath of the law,” and then wait for the next massacre.”
Too many Nigerians have heard this script. It is now completely pointless and excruciatingly predictable.
It is imperative that President Tinubu cease using obituary pronouncements to rule.
“Enough of the same old fury. No more meaningless threats. This government continues to issue press releases in response to the deaths of Nigerians.
“A president who only speaks up after blood has been shed is not leading; rather, he is overseeing failure.”
“The horrific murders in Katsina and the terrible kidnapping in Ogbomoso are not isolated instances. They are a part of a dark national trend where criminals no longer fear the Nigerian state and act with terrible confidence.
The state’s authority has crumbled when terrorists may storm schools, kidnap kids and teachers, kill pregnant women, destroy entire villages, and then vanish without repercussions.
What solace does “the full wrath of the law” offer to families who are already burying their loved ones? For parents who are suddenly afraid that sending their kids to school could be a death sentence, what comfort is another declaration from the president?
Reports indicating intentional efforts to prevent photographs and footage of these atrocities from reaching the Nigerian people are even more alarming.
“This is not just incompetence; it is the height of cruelty if this government is really more concerned with suppressing proof of mass killings than with stopping the killings themselves.
“No sincere government conceals its citizens’ blood in order to preserve political appearances.
“A government has no moral authority to rule if it cannot defend the living while attempting to suppress proof of their deaths.
This is more than just a security lapse. It’s a moral failure. a failure in leadership. A national embarrassment.
“Performative outrage and ceremonial sorrow are not enough for Nigerians. According to Atiku’s statement, “They deserve a government that can protect lives, defend communities, and act before tragedy strikes—not one that merely reacts after the damage is done.”
He demanded that all kidnapped victims in Oyo State be rescued right away, that vulnerable areas be subject to swift and decisive security measures, and that the country’s increasingly inadequate security framework be completely redesigned.
