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The Makinde/Daura Presidential Campaign Organisation (MDPCO) has condemned the abduction of 19 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling from Ibadan to their orientation camps, accusing the Federal Government of failing to adequately protect Nigerians from rising insecurity.

The organisation, in a statement issued on Saturday by its Director of Strategic Communications, Richard Ihediwa, described the October 1 incident as a disturbing reminder of the security challenges confronting Nigerians.

The Imo State Police Command had confirmed that gunmen attacked two buses conveying prospective corps members and other passengers along the Owerri-Onitsha Road near Umunoha in Mbaitoli Local Government Area. The police said 10 victims were rescued during an initial security operation, while efforts continued to locate others.

Reacting to the incident, the MDPCO alleged that what it described as the “lackadaisical attitude” of the President Bola Tinubu administration towards security had emboldened terrorists, bandits and kidnappers.

It said the development was particularly distressing because the victims were young Nigerians travelling to undertake the mandatory national service.

“It is profoundly saddening and heartbreaking that under the watch of the Tinubu-led administration, parents toil, make immense sacrifices and struggle through biting economic hardship to train their children through tertiary institutions, only for them to be handed over to terrorists and bandits,” the organisation said.

The campaign organisation argued that the latest incident was part of a broader pattern of insecurity affecting highways, communities, schools, places of worship and other public spaces across the country.

It further alleged that the Federal Government had failed to demonstrate sufficient capacity to establish an effective, intelligence-driven security architecture capable of protecting citizens.

The MDPCO, however, commended the sacrifices of security personnel, saying the men and women in uniform deserved support and stronger coordination from the political leadership.

The organisation urged President Tinubu to adopt what it described as the security approach of the presidential candidate of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Seyi Makinde, in Oyo State.

According to the campaign group, Makinde’s approach emphasises intelligence gathering, inter-agency collaboration, coordinated operations, preventive measures and rapid response.

It also used the incident to promote the Makinde/Daura ticket ahead of the January 16, 2027 presidential election, describing Makinde as capable of providing what it called “purposeful leadership” on security and other national issues.

The organisation said it stood with the families of the abducted prospective corps members and other Nigerians affected by insecurity, while urging intensified efforts to secure the safe release of those still in captivity.

The abduction has heightened concerns over the safety of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps. The incident also follows an earlier highway attack in Kogi State in which corps members were among those abducted before subsequent rescue operations.

The MDPCO called on Nigerians to remain hopeful and pledged to continue advocating its proposed “RESET” agenda for the country under a Makinde/Daura administration.

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).