ABUJA – The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has launched a scathing critique of President Bola Tinubu’s security strategy, accusing the federal government of “expanding the banditry economy” through negotiations with terrorists while effectively enforcing Boko Haram’s ideology through widespread school closures.
In a strongly-worded press conference on Wednesday, ADC National Spokesman Bolaji Abdullahi declared that the administration’s approach to securing recent hostage releases represents a “dangerous and misguided path” that rewards criminal behavior.
“The Federal Government cannot fight insurgency by doing deals with bandits,” Abdullahi stated. “By appeasing insurgents in this manner, the government is, in effect, expanding the banditry economy.”
The opposition party’s condemnation comes amid conflicting government accounts about the release of kidnapped schoolchildren in Kebbi State and worshippers in Kwara State, with officials offering explanations ranging from peaceful negotiations to terrorists voluntarily surrendering weapons.
The ADC particularly criticized the government’s decision to close dozens of schools across northern states, arguing that “a government that quietly negotiates with insurgents and then shuts down schools to avoid further kidnappings has, in effect, conceded ground to terror.”
“What we are witnessing is the creeping paralysis of our society and the gradual shutting down of our country,” Abdullahi said. “Terrorists are now dictating government decisions and reshaping the future of our children.”
The party questioned the transparency of the hostage releases, demanding to know whether ransoms were paid and why perpetrators were not arrested. They cited the Inspector General of Police’s statement that Kwara church attackers “came out voluntarily for the peace talk” and Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga’s suggestion that abductees were released because security operatives “asked them nicely.”
Calling for immediate action, the ADC urged the administration to reopen schools with proper security measures, determine the exact number of children still in captivity, and abandon negotiation tactics that perpetuate what they termed a “vicious cycle of terror.”
