The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the abduction of schoolchildren and their teachers in Oyo State, describing the incident as further evidence of Nigeria’s deepening security crisis and calling for urgent action to secure the victims’ release.
In a statement issued on Wednesday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president of Nigeria said the kidnapping highlights what he described as the Federal Government’s inability to effectively tackle rising insecurity across the country.
He urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately mobilise security and intelligence agencies to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers and bring those responsible to justice.
Atiku also criticised reports that government officials visited affected families with relief materials, arguing that such gestures fail to address the immediate pain and anxiety of parents whose children remain in captivity.
According to him, grieving families require decisive rescue operations rather thanstudents,teachers, palliatives.
“The cruelty of such a response is difficult to comprehend. Parents whose children have been torn from their arms are not asking for rice. Mothers who do not know whether their children are hungry, sick, traumatised, or even alive are not demanding palliatives,” he said.
He stressed that families affected by the abduction are seeking leadership, action, and reassurance that the government is capable of protecting citizens and restoring the safe return of their loved ones.
The ADC presidential candidate lamented what he described as a recurring pattern in which serious security breaches are met with inadequate responses from authorities. He argued that the latest incident reflects a troubling disconnect between the scale of insecurity and the government’s reaction.
According to Atiku, the consequences of kidnappings extend far beyond official statistics, leaving families traumatised and communities gripped by fear and uncertainty. He noted that every abducted child represents shattered hopes and growing anxiety for parents, siblings and neighbours waiting for news of their safe return.
“It is a damning verdict on this government that while criminals operate with audacity and freedom, innocent schoolchildren are abducted from their classrooms, and the official response is the distribution of rice,” he stated.
The former vice president further warned that persistent insecurity is creating a climate of fear nationwide. He said many Nigerians now live under the constant threat of criminal attacks, with parents worrying about their children’s safety, farmers fearing to work on their land and travellers becoming increasingly reluctant to use major highways.
“Today, many Nigerian parents budget for ransom the same way they budget for school fees. Farmers fear their farms. Travellers fear the highways. Communities fear the night,” Atiku said, adding that no nation can thrive when citizens feel abandoned to the mercy of criminal elements.
He called on the Federal Government to treat the Oyo abduction as a national emergency and ensure that all available security resources are deployed toward rescuing the victims. He insisted that those responsible must be tracked, arrested and prosecuted to deter future attacks.
Atiku maintained that governments are ultimately judged by their ability to protect lives and property, arguing that the safety of schoolchildren remains one of the most basic responsibilities of any administration.
He concluded by demanding the immediate and safe release of all abducted pupils and teachers, urging authorities to restore confidence in public safety by securing schools, protecting communities and ensuring that perpetrators face the full weight of the law.
