In response to reports that Chief Adebayo Adelabu’s sister and twin nephews were abducted, former vice president Atiku Abubakar has spoken out.
The abduction of the former minister’s family members occurred in broad daylight in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State, according to Daily Trust.
Atiku sent a message of support to the Adelabu family through his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, on Wednesday. The statement said that the tragedy revealed the terrible extent of Nigeria’s security situation.
Having happened at the busy Challenge Bus Stop, one of the most prominent and crowded spots in Ibadan, he found it especially astonishing that such a bold kidnapping had taken place there.
He claims the country’s deteriorating security condition is borne out by the fact that kidnappers could attack in such a conspicuous public place without worrying about interception.
“If government officials have grown 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 asked, pointing out that millions of ordinary Nigerians have endured the horrors of kidnapping for years.
The nation’s families are going through unfathomable pain, according to the former vice president, as kidnappers and other criminal elements act with increasing brazenness.
Hostage situations include the kidnapping of schoolchildren, the displacement of farmers from their fields, the abduction of highway travellers, and the ensuing terror that grips entire villages. However, the government’s approach has frequently relied on justifications, propaganda, and band-aid solutions instead of taking bold and effective action, even if these facts are clear.
Kidnappers, according to Atiku, don’t even bother to ask for party membership cards before they attack. Members of the APC and those who support the opposition are both treated the same by them. Ministers, ex-ministers, traders, teachers, students, and farmers are all fair game for them.
Even though many in government may have thought it was beyond of their hands, the same insecurity that has made everyday life a living hell for ordinary Nigerians is now pounding on their doors.
He said that anyone responsible for national security should use this tragedy as a wake-up call.
It was believed that an assault on a former administration member’s family would finally highlight the seriousness of the situation, if the incessant screams of ordinary Nigerians weren’t sufficient to motivate this government to take action. Regrettably, insecurity has grown so ubiquitous that its effects are felt by everyone.
The former VP emphasised that the most basic responsibility of government is to ensure the safety of its population.
He bemoaned the reality that parents in Nigeria are constantly on edge, worrying that they may receive terrible phone calls regarding their loved ones, and that ransom payments are now budgeted for in the same manner as academic tuition.
So, Atiku demanded that the Tinubu government drop its security strategy and replace it with an intelligence-driven plan to end kidnapping syndicates, protect vulnerable populations, and win back the trust of the people in the state’s capacity to keep them safe.
He emphasised his urgent demand for the swift release of the hostages and the swift capture and conviction of those responsible for their kidnapping. The Adelabu family, along with innumerable others in Nigeria, are bearing the terrible brunt of the country’s deteriorating security situation, and he has sent his prayers and support to them.