President of Abuja Original Inhabitants Youths Empowerment Organisation (AOIYEO), Commandant Isaac David, has sharply criticised the Federal Government (FG)’s handling of a recent kidnap rescue, warning that the approach sends a “dangerous signal” to indigenous peoples of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
Speaking during a media briefing in Abuja, David said the FG’s swift response to the demands of armed groups involved in the abduction, has inadvertently communicated that “only the language of force” receives urgent attention from the nation’s authorities.
Recall that 25 schoolgirls were abducted on 17 November 2025 from a girls’ secondary school in Maga, Kebbi State. While one girl escaped the same day, the remaining 24 were reportedly rescued and handed back to the authorities, according to a statement by the Presidency,
Another 38 kidnapped persons, in a separate case, were rescued in Eruku, Kwara State.
David contended that the speed with which government reportedly engaged kidnappers to secure victims’ release contrasts sharply with what he described as decades of “neglect and marginalisation” of Abuja’s original inhabitants, who have long called for political recognition equivalent to that enjoyed by other Nigerian states.
“If the government can immediately listen to the demands of terror groups in order to get those recently kidnapped released, then it is clear what language the government responds to,” David said.
“Our people have learnt the message: that peaceful appeals and constitutional engagement are ignored, but violent pressure gets immediate results. This is not a message the government should be sending,” he warned.
David stressed that FCT indigenous communities have consistently demanded the creation of a substantive political structure—including an elected governor, State Assembly, and other state-level institutions—,arguing that these are necessary to address what he called the age-long marginalisation of Abuja’s original settlers since the FCT was created in 1976.
The AOIYEO leader cautioned that government’s approach to the recent rescue operation may embolden desperate groups and create the impression that adopting extreme methods is the only effective path to getting the FG’s attention.
“We are not calling for violence. But we are warning that the government must understand the dangerous precedent it sets when it responds swiftly only to bandits and terrorists, while ignoring legitimate demands for justice and equality from peaceful, law-abiding indigenous communities,” he stressed.
David called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration to urgently open dialogue with FCT indigenous leaders and deliver long-promised political reforms to prevent rising frustration and tension in the nation’s capital territory.
*PHOTO CAPTION: Commandant David.
