Rejecting claims that he kept quiet after the rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, the Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has urged the Federal Government to spend more time rescuing children still held by kidnappers, especially those abducted in Borno State, instead of attacking opposition figures.
His response followed criticism from the Presidency over his alleged silence, making the issue another point of disagreement over the country’s security response.
The exchange followed the successful rescue of the Oyo victims by security forces. While many Nigerians welcomed the operation, attention has also stayed on other kidnapping cases that are yet to be resolved. Atiku argued that public attention should not stop with one rescue but should also cover children and other victims who are still in captivity.
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He said the Presidency wrongly claimed that he failed to react to the Oyo rescue. He insisted that he had already released a public message on the matter, where he congratulated the Armed Forces and other security agencies for rescuing the victims and urged them to continue efforts until every kidnapped Nigerian regains freedom.
Atiku rejects claim of silence
Atiku, on Saturday, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the Presidency ignored publicly available facts before accusing him of keeping quiet.
He argued that his earlier message welcomed the rescue operation and praised the courage and professionalism of security personnel. He said the accusation of silence was false because his position had already been made public before the Presidency’s criticism.
Atiku also defended his decision not to praise President Bola Tinubu personally. He maintained that his earlier message questioned why the President was focused on political activities instead of publicly leading the nation in celebrating the security operation and comforting families whose relatives are still missing.
He said, “The facts are now before Nigerians. We did not only congratulate the security agencies, we praised their courage, professionalism and sacrifice in unmistakable terms.”
Atiku insisted that the disagreement was not about the rescue itself but about what he viewed as the Federal Government’s response after the operation.
Calls for rescue of Borno children
Atiku used the response to renew his appeal for the rescue of children abducted in Borno State and other Nigerians who are still being held by criminal groups.
He said the rescue of the Oyo victims brought relief to families and many Nigerians, but many others are still waiting for similar news. He urged the government to treat every kidnapping case with the same urgency until all victims are safely returned home.
He said Nigerians are still asking when children abducted in Borno and other innocent citizens held in captivity will regain their freedom. He argued that those questions still require clear answers from the government.
Atiku also urged the Presidency to stop spending time responding to opposition figures and instead concentrate on security operations and the protection of citizens.
He said, “Nigerians deserve a Presidency focused on rescuing every citizen still in captivity rather than one preoccupied with monitoring and misrepresenting the opposition.”
Atiku maintained that recognising the success recorded in Oyo should not stop public calls for the rescue of those still missing.
He argued that security efforts should continue until every kidnapped Nigerian is safely reunited with family members, while the government keeps its attention on solving the country’s security problems rather than engaging in political exchanges.
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