Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 presidential election, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, said the tragic death of former Director of Defence Information Major General Abubakar Rabe (retd.) in bandits’ captivity, is failure of nation’s security architecture.
Atiku in a statement by his media office, said Gen. Rabe’s death exposed ineffectiveness of the All Progressives Congress (APC) led Federal Government in tackling insecurity in the country.
The former Vice President condemned President Bola Tinubu’s approach to tackling insecurity.
Atiku said Rabe’s death is a stark reflection of a nation where criminal elements have become emboldened while citizens are increasingly left to fend for themselves.
“His death marks yet another painful blow to our nation’s security architecture and a chilling reminder of the vulnerability of even our most experienced military leaders in the face of rampant banditry and terrorism,” the ADC presidential candidate stated.
He added that General Rabe’s ordeal is not an isolated case, noting that in recent times, other senior military officers and distinguished Nigerians have either been killed or subjected to similar traumatic experiences at the hands of criminal gangs.
“The message being sent is dangerous: that those who once defended the nation can no longer rely on the nation for protection,” he said.
Atiku observed that the day General Rabe’s died, terrorists simultaneously attacked the Kautikari community in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State and set primary and secondary school facilities ablaze.
He regretted that since the abduction of more than 270 schoolgirls in April 2014, terrorists have returned to the Chibok axis to burn schools.
“It was as though Nigeria was being dragged back into one of the darkest chapters of its history.
“The flames that consumed those school buildings also reignited painful memories that Nigerians have spent more than a decade trying to overcome.
“The tragedy is not merely that schools were burnt; it is that a wound that never truly healed has been torn open once again,” the former vice president stated.
He lamented that approximately 90 schoolchildren and teachers abducted from Oyo and Borno States since May 15 remain in captivity, alongside scores of other Nigerians being held by bandits and terrorists across the country.
“Every school burned by terrorists is an attack on Nigeria’s future. Every child abducted is a reminder of state failure. Every citizen killed or left in captivity is an indictment of a security architecture that is no longer working.
“The death of General Rabe and the burning of schools in Chibok on the same day are not isolated incidents.
“Together, they tell the story of a nation under siege and a government that is steadily allowing hard-won security gains to slip away,” he said.
Atiku restated his call for the declaration of a state of emergency on security, noting that Nigerians cannot continue to pretend that all is well while bandits and terrorists roam freely, abduct citizens, burn schools, occupy communities, and even bring down our senior military officers.
“The Federal Government must rise to the occasion without further delay. Empty promises, propaganda, and routine condemnations are no longer enough.
“Nigerians deserve decisive, coordinated, and result-oriented action that will rescue those in captivity, dismantle criminal networks, and restore confidence in the capacity of the state to protect lives and property,” he added.
