Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the recent abduction and release of schoolgirls in Kebbi State, describing the episode not as a security victory but as further proof that terrorists now operate like an “alternative government” in parts of Nigeria.
In a statement issued by his media office on Wednesday, Atiku took aim at the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to the President, Bayo Onanuga, who had described the girls’ release during an Arise News interview as a security success.
Atiku said Onanuga’s remarks amounted to “a shameful attempt to whitewash a national tragedy and dress up government incompetence as heroism.”
He questioned Onanuga’s claim that security agencies tracked the kidnappers in real time and established contact with them, arguing that such intelligence should have led to the apprehension or neutralisation of the abductors—rather than negotiations.
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According to him, “The release of abducted Nigerians is not a trophy moment; it is a stark reminder that terrorists now operate freely, negotiate openly and dictate terms, while this administration issues press statements to save face.
“If the DSS and the military could ‘track’ and ‘contact’ the kidnappers, then the question is simple: Why were these criminals not arrested or neutralised? Why is the government boasting about talking to terrorists instead of dismantling their networks?”
Atiku added that the repeated cycle of mass abductions, ransom payments and unhindered escape of kidnappers shows that terrorists now “negotiate, collect ransom and walk away untouched,” even as officials applaud what he described as their supposed cooperation.
He stressed that no serious country celebrates negotiations with criminals it claims to have under surveillance, insisting that the administration has lost grip on national security and is resorting to propaganda to cover its shortcomings.
“Under Tinubu, terrorists and bandits have become an alternative authority—negotiating, collecting ransom and walking away untouched—while the presidency celebrates their so-called compliance,” he said.
He continued: “No responsible government congratulates itself for allowing abductors to walk back into the forests to kidnap again. Onanuga and his ilk should stop insulting Nigerians with propaganda.
“If security agencies truly had eyes on the kidnappers, allowing them to escape is a national disgrace that raises serious questions.”
He concluded that “at a time Nigerians need protection, the government is offering fairy tales by moonlight.”
Vanguard had reported that the abduction occurred on November 17, when armed men stormed Government Girls’ Secondary School, Maga, killing a staff member and abducting 25 students. One escaped shortly after, leaving 24 in captivity until their release on Tuesday.
President Bola Tinubu, in a statement issued by Onanuga, welcomed the development and expressed relief that “all the 24 girls have been accounted for,” while directing security agencies to intensify operations and prioritise the rescue of other abducted Nigerians nationwide.
