Zakka family abduction: Atiku urges swift rescue, stronger security measures

Michael Olumide Alabi

Alhaji Abubakar Atiku, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, has called on security agencies to urgently secure the release of Ahmed Zakka, who was reportedly abducted alongside his wife and infant child in Kaduna State.

Atiku described the disturbing video of Zakka as a painful reminder of the insecurity threatening lives, disrupting livelihoods and tearing families apart across Nigeria.

He urged relevant security agencies to act swiftly and decisively to rescue Zakka, his wife, their child and other Nigerians still being held in captivity.

“No Nigerian should have to plead for their life or the safety of their family in the hands of criminals,” he said, describing the reported involvement of an infant in the ordeal as particularly heartbreaking.

The ADC presidential candidate noted that the incident came at a time when many Nigerian families were already struggling with the rising cost of food, transportation and other essential goods.

According to him, insecurity compounds the economic hardship facing citizens, disrupts livelihoods and imposes additional emotional and financial burdens on families.

Atiku urged the government to move beyond assurances and deliver an effective, sustained security response that would ensure the rescue of abducted persons, protect vulnerable communities and dismantle the criminal networks responsible for kidnapping.

“Every Nigerian deserves to live, work and raise a family without the constant fear of violence,” he said.

He expressed solidarity with the Zakka family and other families enduring the trauma of kidnapping, stressing that the protection of every Nigerian life must remain an overriding responsibility of the government.

The ADC presidential candidate called for coordinated and sustained efforts by security agencies to restore public confidence and ensure that Nigerians can go about their daily activities without fear of abduction.