Release Of Oyo Kidnap Victims: In Victory, President Tinubu Failed Nigerians – Atiku

By Adesina Soyooye

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, has faulted the handling of the release of the Oyo State kidnap victims by President Bola Tinubu.

Atiku  who is the  Presidential Candidate of the Action Democratic Congress, ADC, while  welcoming the heart-warming news of their freedom, urged President Tinubu to prioritise security over campaign activities for the 2027 general elections.

Reacting in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku hailed the courage, professionalism and sacrifice of the officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces as well as other security agencies whose gallantry gave rise to success of the  operation.

Aiku: “No serious government should be consumed by the politics of re-election while innocent schoolchildren have remained in the custody of kidnappers for weeks. The first campaign of any responsible administration must be the campaign to rescue its citizens, restore security and reassure anxious families. Politics can wait; the lives of innocent children cannot.

“Yesterday (July 10) should have been dedicated to the war room, not the campaign room.

“What Nigerians expected yesterday was to see a Commander-in-Chief leading from the front.

“Following the successful rescue operation, the President ought to have immediately addressed the nation alongside his defence chiefs, not merely to announce the good news, but to brief Nigerians on the operation, acknowledge the bravery of the troops, highlight the lessons learned, reassure families that no effort would be spared to rescue those still in captivity, and send an unmistakable message to bandits and terrorists that the Nigerian state remains resolute.

“Such moments are not ordinary press events; they are defining demonstrations of leadership that strengthen public confidence, boost military morale, and remind criminal elements that they are confronting a government that neither sleeps nor surrenders.

“Instead, the responsibility of announcing one of the most significant security successes in recent times was left to the President’s spokesman while the President remained publicly engaged in political activities.

“When our troops accomplish a difficult mission, they deserve visible presidential recognition. When citizens witness their President speaking with conviction after such an operation, they draw strength and confidence.

“Equally, those who seek to terrorise our people are reminded that they are confronting a united and determined state. The opposite risks creating an unfortunate perception that politics has taken precedence over the solemn responsibility of securing the nation.”