Security: You've failed woefully

…Charges president to step down

The 2027 presidential candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar has called on the Federal Government to expedite action on the safe release of school children abducted in Oyo and Borno states.

He also charged President Bola Tinubu to step down having allegedly shown a lack of capacity to handle the nation’s myriad security challenges.

The former Vice President made the call in a statement signed by the Atiku Media Office and issued in Abuja on Thursday.

He recounted that no less than 42 school children were kidnapped on May 15 in terrorist raids in Government Day Secondary School, Mussa; Central Primary School, and the State Universal Basic Education Board (SUBEB) Secondary School in Mussa town, Askira-Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

He further stated that on the same day, over 40 students and teachers were also mass abducted from Community High School, Ahoro-Esiele; Primary School, Esiele; and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School, all in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo state.

“A teacher was beheaded in a gruesome manner. Meanwhile, the abducted school children spent Children’s Day in detention on Wednesday while the Tinubu-led All Progressives Congress administration continues to make empty promises,” he noted.

Atiku expressed deep concern over the worsening insecurity in the country, stressing that it poses a direct threat to the nation’s education system and makes a mockery of the Safe Schools initiative spearheaded by the Federal Government.

Atiku expressed embarrassment at the frequency with which terrorists were threatening citizens with impunity allegedly without an appropriate response by the government.

He emphasised that the primary responsibility of any government is the security and welfare for the governed and therefore urged Tinubu to step down from office in the interest of Nigerians.

“President Tinubu has no moral or political latitude to stay in Aso Villa a day longer if tens of hundreds of abducted citizens languish in captivity across the country.

“What type of government will allow non-state actors to turn its national territory into killing fields and a haven for kidnapping and extortion?” Atiku queried.

According to Atiku, security should not be treated as a political slogan and that the citizens can only be impressed by prompt and effective response to security challenges.

He explained that when terrorist abductions are allowed to drag on, it creates incentives for future attacks on schools by criminal elements.

“Impunity makes the terrorists bolder and more determined to carry out future attacks. The citizens look up to the government for urgent and prompt interventions to banditry and terrorist attacks,” Atiku said adding that “the government must project confidence in the minds of the citizens that it is capable of protecting them at all times.”

The ex-VP said pointedly that official condemnations of terrorist abductions is not enough, if it is not followed up with prompt rescue action.

Atiku also expressed regret over the delay in the nation’s criminal justice system in which terrorism trials drag on endlessly.

“We urgently need special courts to speed up the trial of terrorists and bandits in the country. In addition, the death penalty must be applied to terrorism offences in the country. But the death penalty itself cannot be effective if the government lacks the political will to promptly sign the death warrants for convicted terrorists,” he said.