The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has cautioned the Federal Government against treating the security challenges in Kwara State as an isolated incident, warning that the situation could signal a broader geographic expansion by terrorist groups.
The party also criticised President Bola Tinubu for attending a fishing festival amid escalating insecurity, describing the move as evidence of misplaced priorities.
In a statement issued by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party said about 1,300 Nigerians have reportedly been killed within 41 days, with hundreds more still in captivity, including nursing mothers and children.
Abdullahi said, “the President got his priorities wrong, indicating a frightening loss of touch with reality when he chose to attend a festival while funeral processions grow longer across the country as terrorists kill, burn, and abduct citizens under his watch.”
The ADC also raised concerns over a video allegedly linked to the Kaiama abductions in the state, in which insurgents were seen challenging official figures on the number of victims, describing it as a bold attempt to control the narrative around insecurity.
According to the party, the increasing boldness of armed groups within the Kwara corridor suggests the government may be losing control of a strategic area that could serve as a foothold for further terrorist expansion across the country.
The statement noted that while the southern part of the state has faced sustained terrorist pressure since last year, attacks now spreading northward indicate that insurgents may be tightening their grip and exploiting the area as a potential safe haven.
“The implications for the wider country are both clear and alarming. It is therefore shocking that the President could choose to attend a fishing festival while terrorists threaten to expand their operations.
“For clarity, we wish to underline the strategic significance of what is unfolding in Kwara State. The Kaiama axis provides a direct link into Oyo State. Any sustained insurgent activity within this corridor could therefore create wider vulnerabilities across parts of the North Central and South West.
“The situation in Kwara State must not be treated as an isolated incident but as a potential early warning of geographic expansion by terror actors.
“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.
“But this could only mean one thing: the terrorists now view kidnapping as a commercial enterprise, and they are determined not to be short-changed 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.
“Given the gravity of the situation, the ADC expects the Federal Government to immediately undertake the following actions: First, mount a robust and well-coordinated rescue operation to bring every abducted Nigerian safe home. Second, issue a full and transparent public briefing that resolves the emerging discrepancies around the number of victims.
“Third, order an urgent security audit of the Kaiama and Kainji Lake forest corridor. Fourth, deploy strengthened interstate security coordination across the Kwara, Niger, and Oyo axis to shut down further terrorist movement. Fifth, maintain regular and credible public communication to restore confidence and deny terrorists the advantage of propaganda.
“Nigerians are tired of the APC and Bola Tinubu-led government’s assurances on security while citizens continue to be slaughtered at will. What the country needs is a government and a president who demonstrably care and will do everything necessary to protect the people. That urgency is tragically lacking under the present administration,” he said.
Abdullahi added that the party would continue to hold the Federal Government accountable while supporting credible efforts to defeat terrorism and reclaim national territory, stressing that Nigeria must not appear weak in the face of terror.
