Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has delivered a blunt verdict on the country’s security situation, saying Nigeria is under siege and the Tinubu administration appears either overwhelmed, indifferent, or dangerously incompetent in the face of a national emergency.

He expressed grief and outrage on Tuesday over the tragic death of former House of Representatives member, Hon. Abba Anas Adamu, who was reportedly abducted by bandits along the Kaduna-Abuja highway on 3 May 2026 and died in captivity nine days later on 12 May, despite desperate efforts by his family to secure his release.

Atiku urged the Federal Government to treat the nation’s security collapse as the emergency it truly is and extended his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, the people of Jigawa State, and all Nigerians who continue to suffer the devastating consequences of worsening insecurity.

The Waziri Adamawa, in a statement issued through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the horrifying death of a former federal lawmaker at the hands of criminals is not merely a personal tragedy, but a damning indictment of a government that has failed in its most sacred constitutional duty: the protection of lives and property.

“His death is yet another grim reminder of the worsening collapse of security under the Tinubu administration,” the former Vice President said.

He said a government that cannot secure its highways cannot claim to govern, adding that a government that watches citizens get hunted like prey has failed the most elementary test of leadership.

“Let us be brutally honest….When a former member of the National Assembly can be abducted on one of the country’s most strategic highways and die in captivity, what hope remains for the ordinary Nigerian who lacks visibility, influence, or protection?

“This is no longer about isolated incidents. It is now a horrifying pattern. Nigerians are being kidnapped from highways, farms, communities, even their homes, while the government continues to issue sterile statements and recycled assurances that bear no resemblance to the lived reality of our people.

“Under this administration, insecurity has evolved from a crisis into a cruel national routine. Citizens now travel with prayers instead of protection. Families sleep with one eye open. Businesses are shutting down, farmers are abandoning their land, and entire communities are being surrendered to criminals….

“It is particularly tragic that the Abuja-Kaduna corridor and surrounding routes have remained notorious theatres of terror despite repeated promises, security budgets running into trillions, and endless propaganda about progress.

“Nigerians deserve answers. What exactly is the security strategy of this administration? Where is the urgency? Where is the accountability? How many more deaths must be recorded before this government realises that press releases do not defeat bandits?

“No amount of political spin can deodorise this failure. A nation where former lawmakers die in captivity while criminals operate with audacity is a nation in distress.

“At this point, what Nigerians need is not another hollow condolence message. They need decisive leadership, coherent action, and measurable results.” (TRIBUNE)

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