Kids That Were Taken Away In Ibadan, Gov’t Cannot Just Go Ahead. They Know Where They Are -Aliyu

Former House of Representatives Minority Leader and APC chieftain Honorable Farouk Adamu Aliyu has said the government is aware of the location of the bandits who recently kidnapped schoolchildren in Ibadan but cannot launch a direct assault because delicate operations are underway to secure the release of the victims.

Speaking on Arise News, Aliyu made this known while defending President Bola Tinubu’s three years in office amid complaints about poverty and insecurity.

He acknowledged that Nigerians are facing hardship following the removal of the fuel subsidy and exchange rate reforms but said the government had recognized the pain and deemed the measures necessary.

He noted that payments of subsidy had long been described as fraudulent, and previous administrations failed to act, while Tinubu took the decision despite the consequences.

Aliyu argued that the states now have more resources than before, enabling more projects nationwide, and that the challenges in Nigeria are not isolated but part of global economic and security pressures caused by wars in other countries.

He admitted that banditry and kidnapping remain serious problems but said security agencies are working on them. He explained that urban guerrilla warfare is difficult because the bandits are non-state actors and target soft spots.

Speaking on the recent attack in Ibadan, Aliyu said authorities are pursuing the kidnappers but must proceed carefully to ensure the children are recovered safely. He urged Nigerians to give the Tinubu administration more time, saying three years is too short to see the full impact of his reforms.

In his words, “There are people who are saying that, look, how come you cannot stop all this banditry? Unfortunately, urban welfare is the most difficult thing to tackle because these are non-state actors who don’t come in through conventional means and so on.”

“They go on soft targets, and then the government is trying to ensure, like, you know, kids that were taken away recently in Ibadan, you know, the government cannot just go ahead. They know where they are.”

“The security agents are after them. But, you know, there are delicate operations that are ongoing now to ensure that these kids are secured, taken back to their parents, and so on……See More