BREAKING: Presidency Questions Atiku’s Silence After Rescue of Kidnapped Oyo Pupils, Praises Peter Obi

• Presidency has criticised Atiku Abubakar for remaining silent hours after the rescue of the abducted Oyo schoolchildren and teachers, while commending Peter Obi for welcoming the victims’ release.

The Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, has criticised the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, for failing to publicly react to the rescue of abducted pupils and teachers from Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.

In a post on his X handle on Saturday, Onanuga said nearly 18 hours after the victims regained their freedom, Atiku had yet to acknowledge the successful operation.

According to him, the former vice president had repeatedly criticised the Federal Government over the abduction while the victims remained in captivity but had remained silent since their release.

“Almost 18 hours after the Oriire pupils and their teachers regained their freedom, Atiku Abubakar has not deemed it fit to rejoice with the Tinubu Federal Government, the security agencies and the traumatised victims,” Onanuga wrote.

He added that Atiku had “weaponised the kidnap as a campaign issue several times” since the abduction occurred 57 days ago.

Questioning the former vice president’s silence, Onanuga said, “Maybe the veteran presidential runner is waiting for some bad news to attack the Tinubu administration.”

However, the presidential aide commended the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Peter Obi, for reacting to the successful rescue.

According to Onanuga, although Obi did not directly praise President Tinubu, he called for thanksgiving over the victims’ safe return and acknowledged the efforts of security personnel.

The abducted pupils and teachers were taken from Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esiele, and Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota, in Oriire Local Government Area on May 15 after gunmen attacked the schools.

The incident sparked nationwide concern and protests by members of the Nigerian Union of Teachers (NUT) and other stakeholders after one of the abducted teachers, Michael Oyedokun, was killed by his captors.

While the victims remained in captivity, Atiku repeatedly criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the crisis, insisting that rescuing the victims should take priority over other activities.

He described the distribution of rice to affected families as “not governance” but “an abdication of responsibility,” arguing that the government’s focus should have been on securing the victims’ freedom.

Atiku also stated that “when children are missing, the nation expects urgency. When teachers are abducted, the nation expects compassion,” while accusing the administration of appearing more focused on politics than the plight of the victims.

Announcing the successful rescue on Friday, Onanuga disclosed that the operation was carried out without negotiating with the kidnappers.

He said eight suspected members of the gang were arrested and handed over to the Department of State Services (DSS), while several others were neutralised. He also noted that the Boko Haram commander whose release had been demanded by the kidnappers remains in custody and is facing terrorism charges.

Reacting to the development, Peter Obi said he was “greatly relieved and delighted” by the safe return of the victims and thanked all those whose efforts made the rescue possible, especially security personnel.

He, however, stressed that the successful operation should not distract attention from Nigeria’s broader kidnapping crisis and called for stronger measures to improve security across the country.

President Bola Tinubu and Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde had earlier welcomed the rescue, with the President commending the military, the DSS and the Nigeria Police Force for securing the victims’ release without paying ransom or making concessions to the abductors.