The Presidency has defended President Bola Tinubu’s past criticism of former President Goodluck Jonathan over the 2014 Chibok schoolgirls’ abduction.
According to the Presidency, Tinubu’s call for Jonathan to step down at the time was justified and based on the seriousness of the tragedy.
The clarification came from Daniel Bwala, Tinubu’s Special Adviser on Policy Communication, while speaking during a television interview on Wednesday.
He explained that the former opposition leader’s position in 2014 was rooted in the belief that Jonathan’s government had failed to properly acknowledge or address the mass kidnapping.
Bwala stated that the administration at the time struggled to provide a clear direction on the rescue efforts, insisting that the leadership then “didn’t have an idea of the solution.”
He noted that in the early days of the Chibok incident, government officials even questioned the authenticity of the abduction, a development that angered many Nigerians and the international community.
He argued that the security landscape during Jonathan’s era was much more alarming, with terrorists capturing territories, overrunning communities, and allegedly forcing residents to pay taxes to survive.
According to him, the situation was so severe that Tinubu’s call for Jonathan to resign was “legitimate” considering the scale of the crisis.
Speaking on the current wave of school abductions under the Tinubu government, Bwala said critics were attempting to draw comparisons without considering the differences in the two periods.
He insisted that Tinubu’s administration inherited deep security challenges but has introduced stricter counter-terrorism measures, especially regarding ransom payments.
He maintained that the Federal Government under Tinubu has adopted a clear policy against negotiating with bandits or paying ransom, stressing that such actions only help criminal groups expand their operations.
Bwala warned that ransom payments end up buying more weapons for kidnappers and strengthen their networks.
He noted that while some abducted victims regain freedom through pressure from communities, security operations, or local engagement, the Federal Government itself does not enter into deals with kidnappers.
According to him, the priority is to block the financial channels that enable criminal groups to thrive.
Bwala added that Tinubu’s stance is meant to prevent what he described as “unintended support for terrorism,” where ransom funds are recycled into violent activities.
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