Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said on Sunday Nigerians are currently living in perilous time following the upsurge in insecurity in the country.
Atiku, who was reacting to a number of abductions by gunmen in different parts of the country over the weekend, said the growing spate of insecurity had become a cause for concern.
In a post on his X handle, the ex-VP lamented the recent abductions of journalists, judges and a labour leader and members of their families in Kaduna State.
He wrote: “In these perilous times, the courageous sentinels of truth, our journalists, stand as beacons of light, unwavering in their duty to hold power accountable,” Atiku said.
“Yet, they find themselves besieged not only by the terror of abductors but also by a government that continues to assault their freedom through arrests and detention.
“Adding to this travesty is the kidnap of 78-year-old Mr. Takai Shamang, President and Founder of Gantys Aid for Widows, Orphans and Needy Foundation (GAWON) and former President General of the National Union of Electricity and Gas Workers (now known as the National Union of Electricity Employees) between 1982 and 1989.
“Before then, Janet Galadima-Gimba, a customary court judge in the same Kaduna, had been abducted and released. But her sons are still in captivity, with the abductors reportedly making a demand of N150 million as ransom.
“Elsewhere in Katsina, 75-year-old Hauwa’u Adamu, mother of the popular Hausa singer, Dauda Kahutu Rarara, or Rarara, as he is fondly known was kidnapped on Friday.
“This despicable act underscores the dire state of our nation’s security and the gross failure of our leaders to protect its citizens.
“These abductions are damning indictments of our leaders’ failure to secure the safety of citizens and an intolerable breach of press freedom as it relates to the journalists.
“My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of the abducted. I call upon the security agencies to act decisively and without delay to secure their release but to prioritise intelligence gathering and sharing.”
In these perilous times, the courageous sentinels of truth, our journalists, stand as beacons of light, unwavering in their duty to hold power accountable. Yet, they find themselves besieged not only by the terror of abductors but also by a government that continues to assault…
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) July 7, 2024
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.