The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has condemned the abduction of schoolchildren and their teachers in Oyo State, demanding their immediate rescue and describing the incident as evidence of Nigeria’s worsening security crisis.
In a statement issued on Wednesday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president criticised what he called the government’s inadequate response to the tragedy, arguing that relief materials sent to affected families could not replace urgent rescue efforts.
Atiku said grieving parents were seeking the safe return of their children rather than palliatives, insisting that leadership should focus on securing victims and bringing perpetrators to justice.
He warned that persistent kidnappings had created widespread fear among Nigerians, with parents, farmers and travellers increasingly feeling unsafe.
The ADC flagbearer urged President Bola Tinubu to direct security and intelligence agencies to deploy all available resources to rescue the abducted pupils and teachers, arrest their captors and restore public confidence in the government’s ability to protect citizens.