Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has expressed profound grief and outrage over the tragic death of former House of Representatives member Hon. Abba Anas Adamu, who was reportedly abducted by bandits along the Kaduna-Abuja highway on May 3, 2026, and died in captivity nine days later on May 12, despite desperate efforts by his family to secure his release. His death is yet another grim reminder of the worsening collapse of security under the Tinubu administration.
Atiku, in a statement issued through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the horrifying death of a former federal lawmaker in the hands of criminals is not merely a personal tragedy but a damning indictment of a government that has failed in its most sacred constitutional duty: the protection of lives and property.
“Let us be brutally honest: Nigeria is under siege, and the Tinubu administration appears either overwhelmed, indifferent, or dangerously incompetent in the face of this national emergency.
“When a former member of the National Assembly can be abducted on one of the country’s most strategic highways and die in captivity, what hope remains for the ordinary Nigerian who lacks visibility, influence, or protection?
“This is no longer about isolated incidents. It is now a horrifying pattern. Nigerians are being kidnapped from highways, farms, communities, even their homes, while the government continues to issue sterile statements and recycled assurances that bear no resemblance to the lived reality of our people.
“Under this administration, insecurity has evolved from a crisis into a cruel national routine. Citizens now travel with prayers instead of protection. Families sleep with one eye open. Businesses are shutting down, farmers are abandoning their land, and entire communities are being surrendered to criminals.
“A government that cannot secure its highways cannot claim to govern. A government that watches citizens get hunted like prey has failed the most elementary test of leadership.
“It is particularly tragic that the Abuja-Kaduna corridor and surrounding routes have remained notorious theatres of terror despite repeated promises, security budgets running into trillions, and endless propaganda about progress.
“Nigerians deserve answers. What exactly is the security strategy of this administration? Where is the urgency? Where is the accountability? How many more deaths must be recorded before this government realises that press releases do not defeat bandits?
“No amount of political spin can deodorise this failure. A nation where former lawmakers die in captivity while criminals operate with audacity is a nation in distress.
“At this point, what Nigerians need is not another hollow condolence message. They need decisive leadership, coherent action, and measurable results.”
Atiku extended his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, the people of Jigawa State, and all Nigerians who continue to suffer the devastating consequences of worsening insecurity, while urging the Federal Government to treat the nation’s security collapse as the emergency it truly is.
Signed:
Phrank Shaibu
Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to Atiku Abubakar (Vice President, 1999–2007)
12th May,2026.
