Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned the abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Ogbomoso and the killings in Katsina State, accusing President Bola Tinubu of failing to provide effective leadership in tackling insecurity across the country.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president described the incidents as evidence of what he called a frightening collapse of leadership and national security.
Atiku said he was deeply saddened by reports of the killing of one of the teachers abducted during the attack on schools in Ogbomoso, noting that the continued wave of violence reflected more than just security lapses.
“At a time when armed criminals are abducting schoolchildren, slaughtering innocent citizens and turning communities into graveyards, President Tinubu’s response remains the same tired ritual: condemn the killings, threaten that the perpetrators will face the full wrath of the law and then wait for the next massacre,” the statement read.
The former presidential candidate criticised what he described as repeated government reactions limited to public condemnations and condolence messages after violent attacks.
According to him, Nigerians have become accustomed to what he called “recycled outrage” and “empty threats” from the federal government despite worsening insecurity in several parts of the country.
Atiku argued that attacks on schools, communities and civilians have become frequent because criminal groups no longer fear the authority of the Nigerian state.
He also expressed concern over alleged attempts to suppress images and information relating to violent attacks, warning that any effort to censor evidence of killings rather than prevent them would amount to a grave moral failure.
“No serious government hides the blood of its citizens to protect political optics,” he stated.
The former vice president described the current security situation as not only a security crisis but also a moral and leadership failure.
He called for the immediate rescue of all abducted victims in Oyo State and urged the federal government to take decisive action to strengthen security operations in vulnerable communities across the country.
Atiku also advocated a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, saying citizens deserve a government capable of protecting lives and preventing attacks before they occur.
