Atiku slams presidency, says bandits dictating terms under Tinubu

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of enabling terrorists and bandits to operate with increasing boldness, claiming they now function as an “alternate government” across parts of the country.

In a statement released on Wednesday by his media office, Atiku condemned remarks by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, who had earlier defended the federal government’s handling of recent abductions during an interview on Arise TV. Onanuga stated that the government relied on a non-kinetic strategy to protect the lives of victims.

Atiku dismissed the explanation as “a shameful attempt to whitewash a national tragedy and dress up government incompetence as heroism,” insisting that the official celebration of the victims’ release highlights a troubling erosion of national security.

According to the former presidential candidate, the government’s reaction reflects the growing impunity of armed groups, who he said now freely negotiate ransom and dictate terms. He argued that the release of abducted Nigerians should not be portrayed as an achievement but rather as evidence of the state’s weakened authority.

He also challenged Onanuga’s claim that security agencies tracked the kidnappers in real time.

“If the DSS and the military could track the kidnappers and even make contact, why were these criminals not arrested or neutralised?” he queried, adding that the narrative suggests kidnappers are now treated as routine interlocutors rather than hostile actors.

Atiku warned that such an approach emboldens violent groups and further undermines public confidence in the government’s capacity to keep citizens safe.

“Under Tinubu, terrorists and bandits have become an alternative government—negotiating, collecting ransom, and walking away untouched—while the presidency celebrates their ‘compliance’,” he stated.