Nigeria’s former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the Federal Government’s handling of the recent release of kidnapped schoolgirls in Kebbi State, emphasising that their return should not be celebrated as a security triumph, but rather seen as a clear indication of Nigeria’s worsening security challenges.
In a statement released by his media office on Wednesday, Atiku characterised the students’ release as “not a moment of pride,” but instead “a stark warning that terrorists are operating with impunity, negotiating openly, and setting terms, while the government issues statements aimed at saving face.”
Atiku’s statement was issued in response to comments made by Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who praised the Department of State Services (DSS) and the military for tracking the kidnappers in real time and securing the girls’ release without paying ransom.
Onanuga, speaking on Arise News TV, emphasised that operations are often constrained by the need to avoid collateral damage to civilians in areas where bandits operate.
“The security people know all the bandits in that axis. They know them. They know where they operate. Our people are living around them, so operations must be careful to avoid harming innocent Nigerians,” Onanuga explained.
However, Atiku rejected this narrative, calling it “a shameful attempt to whitewash a national tragedy and dress up government incompetence as heroism.” He questioned why the abductors were not arrested, neutralised, or dismantled if they were under surveillance.
“If, as Onanuga claims, the DSS and the military could track the kidnappers and make contact with them, then the question is simple: Why were these criminals allowed to escape? Why is kidnapping now reduced to routine phone calls between state officials and criminals?” Atiku asked.
The former vice president further warned that the administration’s explanation suggested that terrorists and bandits now function as an “alternative government,” negotiating, collecting ransom, and walking away unpunished.
“No serious nation applauds itself for negotiating with terrorists it claims to have under surveillance. No responsible government congratulates itself for allowing abductors to walk back into the forests to kidnap again,” he stated.
The abduction in Kebbi occurred on 17 November 2025, when armed assailants stormed the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Maga, killing one staff member and abducting 25 students from their dormitory. One girl escaped shortly after, leaving 24 in captivity until their release on Tuesday.
President Bola Tinubu, through a statement issued by Onanuga, welcomed the development, expressing relief that “all the 24 girls have been accounted for,” while calling for intensified security deployments across troubled areas.
Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, confirmed that no ransom was paid, attributing the release to coordinated action by security personnel.
This incident is part of a long-running pattern of school-targeted abductions in Nigeria, particularly in the northern states.
Since the 2014 abduction of 276 Chibok schoolgirls by Boko Haram, mass kidnappings have escalated, with at least 2,496 students abducted in 92 separate incidents as of November 2025. Notable examples include the 2021 Jangebe, Zamfara abduction of 279 female students and multiple previous kidnappings in Kebbi, highlighting persistent vulnerabilities in rural and boarding schools.
Atiku concluded that “under the current administration, terrorists and bandits have effectively become an alternative government, negotiating, collecting ransom, and walking away untouched, while the presidency celebrates their compliance. At a time Nigerians need protection, the government is offering fairy tales by moonlight.”
