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.”
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Is Anthony Odiong still a priest after life in prison sentence over rape?")
