Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government over the release of abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State, saying their freedom should not be presented as an achievement but as evidence of Nigeria’s worsening security environment.
In a statement issued by his media office on Wednesday, Atiku said the return of the schoolgirls was “not a trophy moment” but “a damning reminder that terrorists now operate freely, negotiate openly, and dictate terms while this administration issues press statements to save face.”
The statement was a response to comments made by Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, during an interview on Arise News TV on Monday.
Onanuga had highlighted the role of the Department of State Services and the military in tracking the kidnappers in real time and establishing contact to secure the girls’ release without paying ransom.
According to the presidential aide, although security operatives have the necessary intelligence, their operations are often constrained by the risk of collateral damage to civilians being held by the bandits.
“The security people, they know all the bandits that are operating in that axis. They know them. They know where they operate.
“Our people are living around where they operate. So you can’t just go there. They need to be very careful that in the course of chasing these bandits, they don’t go and bomb innocent Nigerians,” he said.
But Atiku dismissed the narrative as “a shameful attempt to whitewash a national tragedy and dress up government incompetence as heroism.”
“If, as Onanuga claims, the DSS and the military could ‘track’ the kidnappers in real time and ‘made contact’ with them, then the question is simple: Why were these criminals not arrested, neutralised, or dismantled on the spot?
“Why is the government boasting about talking to terrorists instead of eliminating them? Why is kidnapping now reduced to a routine phone call between criminals and state officials?” the former vice president asked.
He added that the administration’s explanation suggests that “terrorists and bandits have become an alternative government, negotiating, collecting ransom, and walking away untouched, while the presidency celebrates their compliance.”
“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,” Atiku said.
The abduction occurred on November 17, when armed assailants stormed the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, killing one staff member and kidnapping 25 students from their dormitory.
One girl escaped shortly after, leaving 24 in captivity until their release on Tuesday.
Tinubu welcomed the release in a statement issued by Onanuga, expressing relief that “all the 24 girls have been accounted for” and commending the security agencies for their efforts.
He called for more “boots on the ground” in troubled areas and directed forces to prioritise rescuing other captives across the country.
Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, also confirmed that no ransom was paid, attributing the release to coordinated action by security personnel.
