The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised serious concerns over growing insecurity in parts of Nigeria, warning that recent events in Zamfara and Kwara States are strong indicators that state authority is weakening under the current government.

The party condemned the extortion of more than N56m from farmers in Zamfara by armed criminals, and the shocking footage showing a village in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State completely deserted due to bandit threats.

According to the party, both incidents highlight a dangerous erosion of government control and the rise of lawlessness.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said, “A situation where farmers had to pay money to terrorists before they could gain access to their own farmlands, is not just a Zamfara tragedy, but a national warning. A situation where people had to abandon an entire town to bandits, in the very heart of the country, is not just a local challenge but an evidence of national surrender.”

The party warned that the extortion of millions from farmers is no longer just about insecurity.

The party said, “When armed gangs can collect N56m from farmers for the ‘right’ to plant food, the issue is no longer about insecurity. It is about criminal elements contesting the right to govern a part of Nigeria. When criminals can tax citizens at gunpoint, it means the state has surrendered its monopoly of force and state authority is in retreat.”

ADC expressed shock that such breakdown of order could happen in a country that boasts one of Africa’s biggest defence budgets.

It noted that, “We are dismayed that this could be happening in a country with one of the largest defence budgets in Africa, yet our farmers are left to bargain with warlords for their survival.”

The statement also referenced a recent mass abduction of about 50 people in Zamfara, stressing that these events point to a disturbing trend.

“Added to this is the eerie picture of an entire town where all the people, the young, the old and the infirm had to seek refuge elsewhere for fear of bandits attacks. There are other cases which shows a very alarming pattern suggesting that other parts of the country considered safe may not be so for long.”

The ADC questioned whether the federal government under President Tinubu is still effectively in control.

“The pertinent question therefore is whether the Tinubu-led APC government is still in charge and can still be trusted to do its most fundamental duty, which is to protect the lives and properties of Nigerians.”

The statement reminded the public of a quote by President Bola Tinubu in 2014, when he called for the resignation of then-President Goodluck Jonathan due to insecurity.

“If you control the armed forces and you are the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic, why should any part of this country be under occupation? And you give us excuses every day. In any civilized country Jonathan should have resigned.”

According to ADC, the security situation that Tinubu criticized in 2014 has grown worse under his own leadership.

“Although the security situation that President Tinubu was using to campaign in 2014 had multiplied exponentially under his party and is currently enjoying great prosperity under his direct watch, no one is calling on him to resign.”

The party clarified that it is not asking President Tinubu to resign, but to take urgent and decisive action.

“The ADC does not want President Tinubu to resign. We only ask him to do his job.”

It also questioned why the President considered the situation in Rivers State serious enough for a possible state of emergency, but has remained silent on Zamfara’s security collapse.

“We also ask the pertinent question, why did the President think that the security situation in Rivers State warranted the declaration of state of emergency, but the one in Zamfara with industrial scale kidnapping and a direct challenge to the authority of the Nigerian State by way of bandit tax does not even deserve a direct comment from him?”

It urged the President to focus his attention on the growing threat of banditry.

“We will like to urge President Tinubu to drop whatever else that pre-occupies him and direct his attention to Zamfara State and other parts of the country menaced by bandits.”

The party concluded with a warning that no government can claim control while citizens are being forced to negotiate with criminals for their survival.

“If the Tinubu administration cannot guarantee the safety of our farms and farming communities, if people could be forced to abandon their homes out of fear, then it has failed in its most basic responsibility. You cannot boast that you are in charge of your country while your citizens are negotiating their survival with criminals.”