By Kingston Magare 26.11.2025
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and 2027 presidential aspirant has urged President Bola not to celebrate the release of the abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State, until the episode of rising insecurity is permanently crushed.
The kidnapped 24 Government Girls Secondary School Maga Kebbi State students regained their freedom after about a week in the custody of suspected Fulani militia bandits who stormed their school on November 17, 2025.
According to the Kebbi State governor Nasir Idris all the girls have been accounted for, and no ransom was paid to the kidnappers, but it was pressure mounted on the gunmen by the combined team of the military and Department of State Security that led to their release. But many believe that ransom has been paid.
Speaking in a statement Wednesday, Atiku said: “If the DSS and the military could ‘track’ the kidnappers in real time and ‘made contact’ with them, then the question is simple: Why were these criminals not arrested, neutralised, or dismantled on the spot?
“Under Tinubu, terrorists and bandits have become an alternative government — negotiating, collecting ransom, and walking away untouched — while the presidency celebrates their compliance.”
“If the security agencies truly had eyes on the kidnappers, then letting them escape is a national disgrace that smacks of complicity,” Abubakar added.
“It’s not a trophy moment but a damning reminder that terrorists now operate freely, negotiate openly, and dictate terms while this administration issues press statements to save face.
“Why is the government boasting about talking to terrorists instead of eliminating them? Why is kidnapping now reduced to a routine phone call between criminals and state officials?”