The African Democratic Congress (ADC), has condemned the failed attempt by the Kaduna State Gov-ernment and the Nigeria Police Force of the mass abduction to cover upweekend’s abduction of wor-shippers.
The party described the attempt as part of the APC government’s preoccupation with hiding the truth in order to look good.
In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC criticised the federal government’s stone silence on this latest abduction of Christian worshippers, describing it as a sign of fatigue.
The ADC also expressed grave concern over the attempt by the Kaduna State Government and the Ni-geria Police Force to cover up the mass abduction of Nigerians in three churches in Kajuru Local Gov-ernment Area of Kaduna State, an incident that was later confirmed by the same authorities after pub-lic outcry.
“This episode raises a fundamental and dangerous question for our country: can a government whose first instinct is to withhold information and hide the truth be trusted to protect lives and improve secu-rity?” it asked.
The ADC said the deliberate denial of a verified mass abduction is not a communications error, rather, it said, ‘’It is the behaviour of a government obsessed with looking good rather than solving problems.
‘’In moments of violence and emergency, truth is the first line of defence. It guides response, enables rescue, mobilises communities, and reassures a frightened public. However, when a government choos-es silence or falsehood, it compounds danger, delays action, and deepens trauma.
‘’A government that lies during a security crisis does not merely fail its people; it actively places them at further risk,’’ ADC stated.
The party said that credible reports that journalists, civil society actors, and independent observers were prevented from accessing affected communities made people wonder what exactly the govern-ment was attempting to hide.
SMBLF Seeks Sanctions against Police Boss, Security Commissioner, Council Chairman
The Southern and Middle Belt Leadership Forum (SMBLF), has demanded punitive measures against the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, Mohammed Rabiu, the Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shu’aibu SAN, and the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Area, Madaki Dauda, accusing them of deliberately attempting to conceal the abduction of over 172persons during coordinated attacks on three churches in thestate.
The Forum said the alleged denial of the incident by the officials created a dangerous vacuum that weakened rescue operations and allowed the attackers to escape with their captives.
In a statement, SMBLF said the conduct of the affected officials amounted to a serious breach of public trust and contributed to the worsening insecurity in Southern Kaduna.
The statement was jointly signed by the Leader of SMBLF and Afenifere, HRM Oba Oladipo Olaitan; President of the Middle Belt Forum, Dr Bitrus Pogu; President General of Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, Senator John Azuta Mbata;and National Chairman of PANDEF, Ambassador Godknows Igali.
“What has further compounded this atrocity is the irresponsible and shocking public denial of the mass kidnapping by the Kaduna State Commissioner of Internal Security and Home Affairs, Sule Shu’aibu (SAN); the Kaduna State Commissioner of Police, CP Mohammed Rabiu; and the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government Council, Mr. Madaki Dauda.
“The SMBLF views this conduct not merely as a betrayal of public trust, but as a grave act of incompe-tence that undermined rescue efforts, emboldened the criminals, and gave the kidnappers valuable time to relocate their captives to remote terror enclaves,” the statement said.
The forum called on relevant authorities to take decisive disciplinary action against the officials “for de-liberately misleading the public, obstructed emergency response, or sought to trivialise the suffering of victims.”
SMBLF noted that, “the Kurmin Wali attack once again exposed the failure of Kaduna State’s policy of granting concessions to armed groups, insisting that the tragedy validated its opposition to the state’s amnesty programme for bandits.”
The group described the programme as morally offensive and strategically flawed, arguing that it was unacceptable for the state to provide free medical treatment, educational opportunities for the children of terrorists, and skills acquisition programmes to perpetrators of violence who had not surrendered their weapons, while victims were left with trauma, displacement, and economic hardship.
The statement further lamented that the absence of security presence in many Southern Kaduna com-munities had left residents vulnerable.
It therefore called on the federal government to deploy military and intelligence assets without delay to ensure the safe recovery of those abducted in Kurmin Wali.
In the same vein, the Adara Development Association (ADA), an umbrella body for the for Adara ethnic nationality, has demanded a public apology from Rabiu, and Madaki, over their denial of the abduction of 172worshippers.
In a statement, the President of ADA, Chief Sebastine Barde, alleged that the Commissioner of Police and the council Chairman visited the community and got first hand information from residents, only to later deny that nobody was abducted.
He accused them of deliberately suppressing the truth and presented what he described as “a mislead-ing and painful narrative that no abduction took place.”
He said, rather than acknowledge the gravity of the situation, both officials publicly dismissed verified reports as rumours allegedly propagated by so called conflict entrepreneurs.
He described their actions as unfortunate, noting that it was regrettably the council chairman, an indi-gene of the area, could aligned himself with those who attempted to cover up the tragedy.
Barde said the conduct of the Police commissioner and the council chairman contrasted sharply with the public statements and disposition of Governor Uba Sani.
“Their actions reflected those of overzealous officials who should be firmly reprimanded and called to order.Consequently, the ADA is demanding that the Commissioner of Police and the Chairman of Kajuru Local Government issue a public apology to the Adara people for deliberately suppressing the truth”, the statement said.
Attacks Spark Fresh Calls for Community-Based Forest Guards
The Northern Christian Youth Professionals (NCYP) have condemned the recent attack on worshippers, describing the incident as a stark reminder of the security gaps in forest-bordering communities across northern Nigeria.
In a statement, NCYP said the incident underscored the urgent need for a functional and community-driven Forest Guard system.
The group argued that if local residents had been trained and deployed as part of a forest security structure, the attack could have been prevented or at least disrupted through early warning and coor-dination with security agencies.
“The ease with which the attackers operated raises serious questions about the current security frame-work in forest communities,” the group said, noting that criminal groups often exploited the absence of local resistance to carry out kidnappings and attacks.
While acknowledging the efforts of Tinubu and Sani to address insecurity, the group in the statement signed by its Chairman, Isaac Abrak, maintained that recent events showed the need to strengthen ex-isting strategies, referencing the federal government’s approval of a Forest Guard initiative.
It however stressed that its success depended on the inclusion of indigenous community members who understood the terrain and lived permanently in affected areas.
Chuks Okocha, Michael Olugbode, Adedayo Akinwale, Linus Aleke and John Shiklam
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