Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on President Bola Tinubu to deploy all available security and intelligence resources to secure the safe and unconditional release of schoolchildren and teachers recently abducted in Oyo State.

Atiku, in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, said the government must treat the incident with the urgency it deserves, stressing that the protection of children remains one of the most fundamental responsibilities of any administration.

The former vice president expressed concern over reports that government officials visited the families of the victims with relief materials, including bags of rice, describing such gestures as inadequate in the face of the families' anguish.

According to him, the affected families are seeking the safe return of their loved ones rather than palliative support.

“Parents whose children have been taken away are not asking for rice; they are asking for their children back,” the statement quoted Atiku as saying.

He maintained that what the families require is a decisive government response capable of rescuing the victims and bringing those responsible for the abduction to justice.

Atiku further described the incident as another troubling reminder of the country's worsening security challenges, arguing that insecurity has increasingly become a recurring feature of daily life for many Nigerians.

He expressed concern over what he termed the growing confidence of criminal groups and warned that a failure to impose consequences on perpetrators could encourage further attacks on vulnerable communities.

The former vice president also lamented the impact of kidnapping on ordinary citizens, stating that the prevalence of ransom-related crimes reflects the severity of the nation's security crisis.

He urged the federal government to move beyond rhetoric and demonstrate a firm commitment to safeguarding lives and property across the country.

Atiku concluded by calling for urgent and coordinated action to secure the release of the abducted schoolchildren and teachers, insisting that Nigerians expect concrete results in addressing the country's security challenges.

This version removes emotive language, improves balance, and follows a conventional newspaper reporting style.