- SDP presidential candidate, Prince Adebayo, condemns the surge in banditry and kidnapping, criticizes the government’s failure to protect citizens
- Adebayo questions the government’s commitment to ending kidnapping, asserts that authorities possess the means to tackle the issue decisively
Prince Adewole Adebayo, the presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2023 elections, has expressed strong condemnation for the recent increase in banditry and kidnapping, particularly in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Highlighting security as a fundamental government responsibility, Adebayo criticized the government’s failure to protect citizens from kidnappers. In a post on his official Twitter handle @Pres_Adebayo, he questioned why Nigerians continue to suffer at the hands of criminals.
“As we bemoan and dread bandits and kidnappers, we must repent and suspect our government more. It is the duty of the government to stop criminality,” Adebayo emphasized.
Taking it a step further, he pointed out that President Bola Tinubu, the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the Nigeria Police, and the Department of State Services (DSS) have the means to put an end to kidnapping in Nigeria if they are determined.
“If @officialABAT, @NuhuRibadu, @PoliceNG, and @OfficialDSSNG want to end kidnapping today, they have all it takes. Government is in on it,” he asserted.
Adebayo’s comments reflect his concerns over the growing insecurity in the country and his call for decisive action from government authorities to address the alarming surge in criminal activities, particularly kidnapping.
Military vows to go after kidnappers, criminals terrorising FCT
The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has reassured Federal Capital Territory (FCT) residents that the military, in collaboration with other security agencies, is actively pursuing kidnappers operating in the region.
Maj.-Gen. Edward Baba, the director of defence media operations, emphasized this commitment in the weekly report on armed forces operations in Abuja.
Acknowledging the impact of kidnappings on affected families and heightened concerns among residents, he disclosed that increased ground and air surveillance, along with technology deployment, is underway to pinpoint kidnapping areas.
The operations aim to locate, weaken, and eliminate these syndicates. Although not all solutions may be immediate, citizens are urged to trust the relentless efforts of the armed forces in addressing the situation.