Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, has said President Bola Tinubu’s government is morally bankrupt for giving parents of abducted Oyo State schoolchildren rice while the pupils languish in captivity.
Atiku spoke in a statement issued on Wednesday by his spokesperson, Phrank Shaibu.
Recall that Tinubu’s Chief of Staff and former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, visited Oyo State after bandits raided three schools and abducted pupils and teachers on May 15th, 2026.
It was reported that Gbajabiamila distributed food items, including bags of rice, to parents and families of the victims.
Reacting Atiku said the body language of Tinubu’s government showed that it doesn’t take security seriously.
“The cruelty of such a response is difficult to comprehend. Parents whose children have been torn from their arms are not asking for rice. Mothers who do not know whether their children are hungry, sick, traumatised, or even alive are not demanding palliatives. Fathers who wake up every morning praying for a phone call announcing the safe return of their children are not looking for handouts. What these families need is action.
“What they need is leadership. What they need is a government capable of rescuing their children and bringing the criminals responsible to justice.”
“It is a damning verdict on this government that while criminals operate with audacity and freedom, innocent schoolchildren are abducted from their classrooms, and the official response is the distribution of rice. ‘This is not governance.’ This is an abdication of responsibility. It is a tragic confession of failure by an administration that seems increasingly overwhelmed by the very duties it swore to perform,’ he stated.
Atiku further demanded the immediate and safe release of the abducted pupils and teachers, insisting that nothing should matter more to the government at this moment.
“Bring the children home. Bring their teachers home. Arrest their captors. Secure our schools. Restore confidence in the ability of the state to protect its citizens. Anything less is unacceptable,” Atiku demanded.
DAILY POST reports that the sister and children of former minister of power Adebayo Adelabu were abducted in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday.
Earlier, gunmen attacked the immigration office in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.
In recent months, kidnappings have surged in Oyo State, led by Governor Seyi Makinde.
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