Atiku Speaks Out as Gunmen Abduct Adelabu’s Sister, Children, Video Trends

• Atiku Abubakar condemned the abduction of Adebayo Adelabu's sister, calling for immediate action and freedom
• The ADC chieftain emphasised Nigeria's 'worsening security crisis and the government's failure to protect its citizens adequately'
• Atiku urged a shift to a proactive, intelligence-driven security strategy to combat growing crime and restore public safety

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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over nine years of experience covering politics, elections, public affairs, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.

Ibadan, Oyo state - Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said he received with deep concern reports of the abduction of Busayo John-Paul, sister of the immediate past Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, along with her twin children in Ibadan, Oyo state.

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain condemned the "reprehensible act" in the strongest possible terms and called for their immediate and unconditional release.

Atiku, a presidential hopeful, also urged security agencies to deploy every available resource towards ensuring their safe rescue and the swift arrest and prosecution of those responsible.

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In a statement issued on Wednesday, June 3, by his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu, and shared with Legit.ng, Atiku expressed solidarity with the family of Adebayo Adelabu, saying the incident once again highlights the alarming scale of Nigeria’s insecurity crisis.

He described it as particularly shocking that such a brazen abduction occurred in the heart of Ibadan at the bustling Challenge Bus Stop, one of the city's busiest and most recognisable locations.

Atiku bemoans Nigeria's "worsening security situation"

According to him, 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. He observed that while millions of ordinary Nigerians have endured the horrors of kidnapping for years, "this latest incident raises a question that the President Bola Tinubu administration can no longer evade: if government officials have become desensitised to the suffering of ordinary citizens, should they not at least be alarmed when insecurity reaches the doorstep of one of their own?"

The former vice president lamented that across the country, families are being subjected to unimaginable trauma as kidnappers and other criminal elements operate with growing audacity.

The statement said:

"Schoolchildren are abducted from classrooms, farmers are driven from their lands, travellers are kidnapped on highways, and entire communities are held hostage by fear. Yet, despite these grim realities, the government's response has too often been characterised by excuses, propaganda, and palliatives rather than decisive action."

Furthermore, Atiku noted that kidnappers do not ask for party membership cards before striking, nor do they distinguish between All Progressives Congress (APC) members and opposition supporters.

He said:

"They do not care whether their victims are ministers, former ministers, traders, teachers, students, or farmers.

"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: Adelabu's sister's abduction wake-up call

The former Nigerian No.2 citizen stated that the abduction of the relative of Adelabu should serve as a wake-up call for those entrusted with the security of the country.

He lamented:

“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.”

The 79-year-old stressed that a government that cannot guarantee the safety of its citizens is failing in its most fundamental obligation. He decried a situation where Nigerians now allegedly budget for ransom payments the same way they budget for school fees and where parents live in constant fear of receiving devastating phone calls about their loved ones.

Atiku, therefore, called on the Tinubu administration to "abandon its reactive approach to security and immediately implement 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."

Viral videos linked to the abduction of Adelabu’s sister can be viewed below via X posts:

Police react to Adelabu’s sister's abduction

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Oyo State Police Command said efforts were underway to rescue the victims and apprehend those behind Adelabu's sister's abduction.

Olayinka Ayanlade, the police spokesperson, added that security operatives had commenced investigations into the attack.