Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has decried the worsening state of insecurity across the country and urged President Bola Tinubu to immediately declare a state of emergency.
In a statement posted on his X page on Friday, the former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) expressed profound anguish over the persistent loss of life.
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He questioned how many more Nigerians must suffer before the government takes decisive action.
“Not again. This is truly heartbreaking. How many more lives must be shattered before decisive action is taken?” Atiku wrote.
He called on the government to respond with the urgency the situation demands, stressing that “it is not too late for the government to finally declare a state of emergency on insecurity and confront this menace”.
The New Daily Prime earlier reported that the 78-year-old politician had asked Tinubu to “admit incompetence” over the escalating security crisis following the killing of Brigadier General Musa Uba by terrorists.
Atiku said he was shocked and deeply disturbed by the general’s death, urging Tinubu to either seek external assistance or resign if he cannot address the situation.
He described the development as a failure of political leadership, accusing the president of focusing more on silencing the opposition than fulfilling his constitutional responsibilities as Commander-in-Chief.
Background
This newspaper reported that the insecurity in the country deepened on Friday after terrorists invaded Papiri village under Agwara area of Niger State, North-Central, kidnapping dozens of pupils yet unknown in St. Mary’s school in Agwara area under Borgu Emirate.
The Niger State Government confirmed kidnapping of pupils from St Mary’s School in Agwara Local Government Area were kidnapped in a statement signed by Abubakar Usman, the Secretary to the State Government.
The government blamed the school for resuming academic activities despite intelligence warnings of potential attacks across the Niger North Senatorial District.
The government added that by reopening without notification or clearance, the school exposed pupils and staff to avoidable risks.
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It further emphasised that security agencies had launched a full-scale investigation and search-and-rescue operation:
“Security agencies have since commenced a full-scale investigation and search-and-rescue operations to ensure the safe return of the pupils. The Niger State Government is in close communication with all relevant security formations and will provide continuous updates as more information becomes available.”
