Former Vice President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar, has faulted the Federal Government’s presentation of the released schoolgirls from Kebbi State, Northwest Nigeria, as a security success. The former national leader argued that the development should instead alarm citizens and the international community about the country’s worsening insecurity.
In a statement released by his media team on Wednesday, Atiku said the safe return of the students should not be described as an accomplishment, stressing that it is “not a trophy moment” but “a damning reminder that terrorists now operate freely, negotiate openly, and dictate terms while this administration issues press statements to save face.”
Okay News reports.
Atiku’s remarks were issued in reaction to comments made by Bayo Onanuga, the Presidential Special Adviser on Information and Strategy in Nigeria, who spoke during an interview with Arise News Television earlier in the week. Onanuga had described the collaboration between the Department of State Services and the Nigerian Armed Forces as instrumental in tracking the kidnappers and making contact with the abductors without paying ransom.
The presidential aide explained that security forces often limit operations because hostages are held in dangerous, densely populated areas where any direct strike could lead to civilian casualties. He said, “The security people, they know all the bandits that are operating in that axis. They know them. They know where they operate. Our people are living around where they operate. So you cannot just go there. They need to be very careful that in the course of chasing these bandits, they do not go and bomb innocent Nigerians.”
Atiku rejected this narrative, calling it “a shameful attempt to whitewash a national tragedy and dress up government incompetence as heroism.” He questioned the logic of the government’s explanation, asking why security forces failed to apprehend the kidnappers despite reportedly tracking them. He said, “If, as Onanuga claims, the Department of State Services and the military could ‘track’ the kidnappers in real time and ‘made contact’ with them, then the question is simple: Why were these criminals not arrested, neutralised, or dismantled on the spot?”
The former Vice President further criticised the Federal Government for publicising its communication with the kidnappers instead of working to dismantle their operations. He asked, “Why is the government boasting about talking to terrorists instead of eliminating them? Why is kidnapping now reduced to a routine phone call between criminals and state officials?”
Atiku added that the government’s narrative suggests that criminal groups have gained a disturbing level of influence in Nigeria. He said the situation implies that “terrorists and bandits have become an alternative government, negotiating, collecting ransom, and walking away untouched, while the presidency celebrates their compliance.”
According to Atiku, no responsible nation should express satisfaction over negotiating with groups it claims to monitor. He stated, “No serious nation applauds itself for negotiating with terrorists it claims to have under surveillance. No responsible government congratulates itself for allowing abductors to walk back into the forests to kidnap again.”
The kidnapping took place on November 17, when armed attackers invaded the Government Girls’ Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, killing one staff member and abducting twenty-five students. One student escaped soon after, while the remaining twenty-four were freed on Tuesday.
Nigeria’s President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, welcomed the news of their release in a message conveyed by the presidential media aide. The president expressed relief that “all the 24 girls have been accounted for” and praised the security agencies for their efforts. He also ordered increased security presence in vulnerable communities and directed security formations to prioritise the rescue of other captives across the country.
Nasir Idris, the Governor of Kebbi State, affirmed that security collaboration, not ransom payment, ensured the rescue of the girls.
