Spokesman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Bolaji Abdullahi, has accused the Federal Government of engaging in negotiations with insurgents and kidnappers to secure the release of abducted victims. Abdullahi made the allegation on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He was reacting to the release of 24 schoolgirls abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, in Kebbi State. The attack, which occurred on November 17, also claimed the life of the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku.
Abdullahi argued that the government’s engagement with armed groups amounted to reinforcing a “banditry economy,” noting that such deals embolden criminals. He cited recent incidents in Ekiti State where kidnappings continued shortly after the release of churchgoers abducted in Eruku.
He questioned the government’s claim that no ransom was paid, saying any conversation held with the abductors suggested direct access to them. “If you knew where they were to negotiate, why were they not arrested?” he asked, insisting that no arrests have been made despite contact with the kidnappers.
Abdullahi also criticised the closure of schools due to insecurity, saying it signaled the government’s inability to secure educational institutions and inadvertently advanced Boko Haram’s anti-Western education ideology.
He welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s declaration of a nationwide security emergency but said the intervention should have come earlier and must be followed by clear implementation measures.
The ADC spokesman dismissed allegations that his party was fueling insecurity or lobbying foreign governments against Nigeria.
The rescued schoolgirls were freed on Tuesday, days after the deadly attack. Their release comes amid rising concerns over increasing abductions across the country.
