Atiku Urges Tinubu to Declare State of Emergency on Insecurity

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called on President Bola Tinubu to take immediate and decisive action against the nation’s deteriorating security situation by declaring a state of emergency. The demand was made public on Friday in a statement posted on Abubakar’s official Facebook page, issued in direct reaction to the mass abduction of students in Niger State.

The statement by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election comes after reports confirmed that terrorists had invaded St. Mary Secondary School, Papiri, in the Agwara Local Government Area of Niger State, abducting over 50 students and staff. This incident marks the latest in a series of mass abductions and high-profile attacks that have plagued various regions across the country.

Expressing his dismay over the recurring tragedies, Atiku Abubakar openly questioned the current administration’s handling of the crisis and the lack of a strong, immediate response. He conveyed the emotional toll of the relentless violence on the Nigerian populace.

“Not again. This is truly heartbreaking. How many more lives must be shattered before decisive action is taken?” he wrote, directly challenging the urgency and scope of the Tinubu led Federal Government’s current security strategy.

The former Vice President concluded his appeal by stressing that the situation requires the highest level of governmental response. He advised that it is not too late for the administration “to finally declare a state of emergency in insecurity and confront this menace with the urgency it deserves,” arguing that only a radical, all-encompassing measure can effectively combat the entrenched challenges posed by terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping across Nigeria.