The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cautioned the Federal Government against what it describes as a growing pattern of negotiating with bandits, warning that such actions undermine national security and fuel the cycle of violence across the country.
In a statement issued by the party’s spokesperson, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC celebrated the recent rescue of abducted Nigerians, including worshippers taken from Christ Apostolic Church (CAC), Oke-Isegun in Eruku, Kwara State, and schoolchildren abducted from Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Kebbi State. However, the party stressed that these incidents should never have happened if government had fulfilled its constitutional duties.
According to the statement, the current administration appears “distracted by politics” and is acting “less like a democratic government and more like an occupying force.” Abdullahi noted that it took a remark from former U.S. President Donald Trump before the government showed any meaningful reaction to the recent wave of kidnappings.
Despite welcoming the victims’ return, the ADC said it is troubled by the manner in which their release was secured, pointing to conflicting accounts from government officials. The party accused the Federal Government of withholding the truth from Nigerians and expressed strong belief that deals were negotiated with insurgents.
Abdullahi cited recent comments by top officials, including the Inspector General of Police, who reportedly said those behind the Kwara church attack were not arrested because they “came out voluntarily for the peace talk.” He also referenced a statement attributed to Presidential Spokesman Bayo Onanuga suggesting that some abductees were released because authorities “asked them nicely.”
“These contradictions raise troubling questions,” the ADC said. “Is the Nigerian government paying ransom? What was exchanged for the alleged surrender of weapons? If the perpetrators are not being arrested and prosecuted, what justice exists for those they killed?”
The statement warned that negotiating with insurgents emboldens criminal networks and effectively expands what the party called the “banditry economy.” It noted that the same area in Kwara State was attacked again the day after the release of the abducted worshippers, with 11 more residents kidnapped in Isaac Community, Ekiti Local Government Area.
According to the ADC, this pattern shows that a system focused on rescuing victims without holding perpetrators accountable only reinforces insecurity and encourages further attacks.
On the Federal Government’s recent directive to shut down 47 Unity Schools nationwide due to escalating attacks on schoolchildren, the party expressed alarm that several state governments are also closing schools and sending pupils home. The ADC suggested that these closures highlight the government’s inability to guarantee basic safety and further illustrate the consequences of what it termed a misguided approach to national security.
The party urged the Federal Government to abandon negotiations with bandits and adopt a firm, transparent, and justice-driven strategy to restore security across the country.
