Atiku Slams Government Over Kebbi Schoolgirls’ Release as No Victory

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the Federal Government on Wednesday for hailing the release of 24 abducted schoolgirls in Kebbi State as a triumph. He called it a stark sign of Nigeria’s crumbling security, where terrorists roam unchecked and bargain freely. The criticism targeted claims by Presidential Adviser Bayo Onanuga that security forces tracked the kidnappers in real time without paying ransom.

Armed bandits stormed Government Girls’ Secondary School in Maga, Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area, on November 17. They killed one staff member and seized 25 pupils from their dormitory. One girl escaped soon after, leaving 24 held captive until Tuesday’s rescue.

Atiku dismissed Onanuga’s account of negotiations as a “shameful whitewash of incompetence.” He asked why officials did not arrest or neutralise the bandits on the spot if they had full surveillance. “No serious nation applauds negotiating with terrorists it claims to have under watch,” Atiku said.

President Bola Tinubu praised the security agencies for the outcome and ordered more troops to high-risk zones. Kebbi Governor Nasir Idris confirmed no ransom changed hands, crediting joint operations. Yet Atiku warned that such deals let abductors slip back into the bush, ready to strike again.

These young girls endured nights of terror, their families gripped by dread that no press release can erase. In a nation scarred by too many such shadows, true wins demand roots ripped out, not fleeting handshakes with fear.