By Desire Emmanuel
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Sunday, February 15, said it is worrisome that while terrorists were on killing spree in the country, President Bola Tinubu was busy attending a fishing festival.
The ADC disclosed this in a statement posted by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, on his X handle on Sunday evening, saying credible reports indicated that about 1,300 Nigerians have been killed in the last 41 days by terrorists and bandits.
President Tinubu was the special guest of honour during the Argungu Fishing Festival held in Kebbi State on Saturday where the man that caught the largest fish was rewarded with the sum of N1 million, a bag of rice and two cars.
The statement by the ADC reads: “The African Democratic Congress (ADC) is concerned that at a time of rising insecurity, the President and Commander-in-Chief was in Argungu attending a fishing festival, even as credible reports indicate that nearly 1,300 Nigerians have been killed in the last 41 days. Once again, innocent Nigerians and their families are left to bear the tragic brunt of terror while the President fiddles away at a festival.
“We are also greatly disturbed by the emergence of a video allegedly released by terrorists in connection with the recent abductions in Kaiama Local Government Area, challenging official figures on the number of kidnapped victims. This development comes amid fresh reports of terrorist activity in Patigi Local Government Area of the same state as recently as last night.
“When non-state actors become sufficiently emboldened to publicly contradict official figures, it signals a troubling erosion of deterrence and raises serious questions about the management of both the security and information environments. Terrorists now view kidnapping as a commercial enterprise, and they are determined not to be shortchanged in the ransom negotiations they expect will follow.
“On previous occasions, we have reiterated our longstanding position that the payment of ransom to terrorists, whether directly or indirectly, risks further entrenching the criminal economy that sustains mass abductions. While the safe return of victims remains paramount, disguising ransom payments as rescue operations only creates perverse incentives for future attacks.”
