Negotiating With Bandits Is a Dangerous Path, ADC Tells Federal Government

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has sharply criticised the Federal Government’s handling of recent nationwide kidnappings, warning that attempting to negotiate with armed groups is a perilous strategy that risks deepening Nigeria’s security crisis.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party welcomed the release of abducted worshippers from Christ Apostolic Church in Kwara State and the freed students in Kebbi. But it argued that the circumstances surrounding their return raise troubling questions.

According to the ADC, the string of high-profile abductions “should never have occurred” if the government had fulfilled its constitutional responsibility to protect citizens. The statement accused the administration of being distracted by political considerations and reacting only when under international scrutiny.

“It is telling that it took a chastening comment from President Trump to provoke even the slightest response from our government,” the party said. While expressing relief over the victims’ safe return, the ADC warned that the opaque manner of their release suggests a lack of transparency at the highest level of government.

The party condemned conflicting official statements on how the captives were freed, pointing to comments from security leaders indicating that kidnappers “voluntarily came for peace talks” and were therefore not arrested. It also criticised a presidential spokesman who reportedly suggested that victims were released after security agents “asked them nicely.”

The ADC questioned whether the government had entered into covert agreements or ransom arrangements with armed groups responsible for killing innocent Nigerians.

“What exactly was exchanged for the so-called surrender of weapons? And if the bandits were not arrested, what stops them from returning with new arms? Where is justice for those they murdered?” the statement asked.

The party warned that if negotiations are becoming the government’s primary tool for tackling insurgency and growing kidnappings, Nigeria is “headed in a dangerous direction.” Indulging violent groups rather than dismantling them, it said, only empowers the criminal networks fueling the banditry economy.

The ADC also criticised the recent closure of Unity Schools following multiple abductions, saying the shutdown plays directly into extremist ideology. “By closing schools, the government is reinforcing the very ideology Boko Haram was built upon,” it said.

The party argued that the government’s inability to provide accurate figures on the number of children kidnapped last week shows a “damning level of incompetence.” It described the alleged abandonment of the Safe Schools Initiative as unacceptable and called for the deployment of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to all Federal Unity Schools to enable immediate reopening.

“The more we capitulate, the more ground we lose as a nation,” the statement warned. “A country that cannot protect its children cannot protect its future. Reopen the schools. Secure the schools. Bring our children home.”