Former vice-president Atiku Abubakar accused the Tinubu administration of allowing terrorists to operate freely and act as an “alternative government,” criticizing claims that security agencies tracked kidnappers in real time.
In a statement on Wednesday, former vice-president Atiku Abubakar said terrorists and bandits now operate as an alternate government under President Bola Tinubu. Criticising Bayo Onanuga’s claim that the federal government used a “non-kinetic approach” to safeguard abductees, Abubakar called it “a shameful attempt to whitewash a national tragedy and dress up government incompetence as heroism.”
He warned that celebrating the release of abducted schoolgirls only highlights the growing boldness of violent groups, adding: “Truth be told, the release of abducted Nigerians is not a trophy moment; it is a damning reminder that terrorists now operate freely, negotiate openly, and dictate terms while this administration issues press statements to save face.”
He further questioned why kidnappers were not arrested despite claims that they were tracked in real time, concluding: “If the security agencies truly had eyes on the kidnappers, then letting them escape is a national disgrace that smacks of complicity.”