Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has stated that the abduction of the sister and twin nephews of former Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, indicates the growing condition of insecurity in Nigeria.
Atiku noted that the occurrence demonstrates that no one is immune to the country’s escalating kidnapping epidemic.
While denouncing the event, the African Democratic Congress presidential candidate called for the victims’ immediate and unconditional release and encouraged security forces to use all available resources to ensure their safe rescue and the arrest of those involved.
He made the remarks in a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, in response to allegations that the victims had been abducted in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Atiku expressed solidarity with the Adelabu family, describing the event as another disturbing sign of the country’s deteriorating security situation.
According to him, the circumstances surrounding the kidnapping were particularly concerning because the incident allegedly occurred at Challenge Bus Stop, one of Ibadan’s busiest and most visible sites.
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 stressed that while ordinary Nigerians have endured the scourge of kidnapping for years, the latest incident raises difficult questions for the Federal Government.
He mentioned 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 presidential candidate 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 also 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 emphasised that the primary responsibility of any government is the protection of lives and property, warning that many Nigerians now live in fear of abduction and violent crime.
He condemned 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 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.”
