Insecurity: What Atiku told Tinubu

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu’s administration to take urgent and decisive measures to tackle the worsening security crisis across Nigeria.
Atiku made the appeal on Wednesday through a statement issued by his media aide, Paul Ibe, following the deadly attack on Government Secondary School, Iluke Bunu, in Kabba-Bunu Local Government Area of Kogi State.
According to reports, armed gunmen stormed the school, killing three people, including the vice principal, and abducting several students, sparking fresh concerns over the safety of schools nationwide.
Reacting to the incident, the former Vice President warned that the growing wave of attacks on educational institutions poses a grave threat not only to lives but also to the future of education in Nigeria.
He noted that the Kogi incident is the latest in a disturbing pattern of assaults on schools across the country. Atiku recalled the abduction of dozens of schoolchildren in separate attacks in Oriire, Oyo State, and Mussa in Borno State on May 15, adding that the principal of the school in Oriire was reportedly killed during the attack.
The ADC chieftain cautioned that if the trend continues unchecked, it could have devastating long-term consequences for the nation’s educational system and overall development.
Consequently, Atiku urged the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency on security, insisting that security agencies require stronger support and greater operational flexibility to confront terrorists, bandits, and other criminal elements.
Clarifying his position, he stressed that his call was not aimed at removing elected officials or undermining democratic governance. Rather, he argued that military and security commanders should be empowered to make swift battlefield decisions without undue political interference.
“It is high time the Federal Government declared a state of emergency to empower commanders with more freedom to act decisively and proactively against these monsters in the country,” Atiku said.
“I am not calling for the removal of elected officials. My position is that commanders should be given a freer hand to protect their battlefield decisions from political interference and effectively confront the security threats facing the nation.”