Olawepo-Hashim Criticizes Nigerian Government Over Terrorism Cover-Ups

Presidential hopeful Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim has accused elements within Nigeria's security apparatus of complicating the country's security challenges through official cover-ups. He emphasized that terrorism and mass kidnappings cannot be defeated amid denials and suppression of facts by officials.

The statement follows the recent abduction of 166 worshippers in an attack on three churches in the Kurmin Wali community in the Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State. Nigerian authorities, including the Kaduna State Police Commissioner Muhammad Rabiu and the Kajuru LGA Chairman Dauda Madaki, initially denied the incident, reflecting a troubling pattern of suppressing information rather than taking decisive action.

Olawepo-Hashim criticized the handling of the incident as a calculated attempt to erase the crime, highlighting a systemic issue where truth is treated as a liability. The opposition PDP chieftain raised concerns about alleged intimidation of communities, noting that the population is often pressured into silence rather than being protected by authorities.