Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said the abduction of the sister and twin nephews of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, demonstrates the worsening state of insecurity in Nigeria.
Atiku added that the development shows that no one is immune from the country’s growing kidnapping crisis.
While condemning the incident, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate called for the immediate and unconditional release of the victims and urged security agencies to deploy all available resources towards their safe rescue and the arrest of those responsible.
He made the remarks in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, following reports that the victims were abducted in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Expressing solidarity with the Adelabu family, Atiku described the incident as another troubling indication of the country’s deteriorating security situation.
According to him, the circumstances surrounding the abduction were particularly alarming because the attack reportedly occurred at Challenge Bus Stop, one of the busiest and most prominent locations in Ibadan.
He said, “The fact that kidnappers could strike in such a prominent public space without fear of interception speaks volumes about the worsening security situation in the country.”
Atiku argued that while ordinary Nigerians have endured the scourge of kidnapping for years, the latest incident raises difficult questions for the Federal Government.
He stated that if public officials had become accustomed to reports of insecurity affecting ordinary citizens, they should now recognise the gravity of the crisis when it reaches the families of people connected to government.
The ADC chieftain lamented that kidnapping and violent crime have become widespread across the country, affecting people regardless of social status, political affiliation or occupation.
“Kidnappers do not ask for party membership cards before striking. They do not distinguish between APC members and opposition supporters. They do not care whether their victims are ministers, former ministers, traders, teachers, students, or farmers,” he said.
The same insecurity that has turned the lives of ordinary Nigerians into a daily nightmare is now knocking on doors many in government may have assumed were beyond its reach.”
Atiku further described the incident as a wake-up call for those entrusted with safeguarding lives and property.
“If the endless cries of ordinary Nigerians were not enough to spur this government into action, one would have expected that an attack affecting the family of a former member of the administration would finally underscore the urgency of the crisis. Sadly, insecurity has become so pervasive that no one is truly insulated from its consequences,” he said.
He stressed that the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property, warning that many Nigerians now live under constant fear of abduction and violent crime.
He decried what he described as a situation where families increasingly factor potential ransom payments into their financial planning, while parents worry daily about the safety of their children and relatives.
Atiku consequently urged the administration of President Bola Tinubu to abandon what he called a reactive approach to security and adopt a comprehensive strategy focused on intelligence gathering, prevention, and dismantling criminal networks.
He called for “a comprehensive, intelligence-driven strategy capable of dismantling kidnapping syndicates, securing vulnerable communities, and restoring public confidence in the state’s ability to protect lives and property.”
The incident comes amid growing concerns over the resurgence of kidnapping across several parts of the country.
In recent years, criminal gangs have increasingly targeted travellers, students, farmers, and residents of urban and rural communities, often demanding huge ransoms for the release of victims.
Security analysts have repeatedly warned that the persistence of kidnappings and other violent crimes poses a serious challenge to public confidence in the country’s security architecture and requires stronger coordination among intelligence and law enforcement agencies.
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