Govt playing politics with citizens’ lives- Adebayo
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has criticised what he described as the government’s carefree and cosmetic approach to addressing insecurity in the country.
Speaking in a recent media interview, Adebayo alleged that individuals responsible for widespread attacks—including kidnapping and violence against communities—operate freely while the government fails to apprehend them. Meanwhile, he said, other Nigerians are swiftly arrested and punished when suspected of wrongdoing.
Adebayo compared this to the case of Nnamdi Kanu, who was arrested in Kenya, extradited to Nigeria, prosecuted and jailed, questioning why similar efforts are not applied to those who abduct and terrorise citizens across the country.
“This is a government that could capture somebody in Nairobi, bring him back for trial and sentence him to life. But they cannot capture people going around terrorising Nigerians,” he said.
He questioned how large-scale abductions continue to occur without intervention from security agencies. “How are you going to carry dozens of people without security personnel doing anything about it?” he asked.
Adebayo urged President Bola Tinubu to take decisive control of the nation’s security architecture, recalling how prompt actions were taken in the past to apprehend notorious criminals. He cited the example of Lawrence Anini, whose arrest was fast-tracked under then-President Ibrahim Babangida after pressure on security officials.
According to him, the President must demand firm accountability from the armed forces and the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun. “If kidnappers continue to operate freely, he needs to call the IGP and ask, ‘Where are these kidnappers?’” Adebayo said.
He further claimed that the Tinubu administration has not demonstrated seriousness in tackling insecurity, alleging that recent attention to the issue only followed a tweet by U.S. President Donald Trump, which highlighted the scale of Nigeria’s security challenges.
