Revolution threat looms if rights abuses persist, says Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has warned that growing frustration among citizens over alleged violations of human rights could trigger a mass uprising if authorities fail to change course.

Atiku gave the warning Thursday night during a solidarity visit to former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, following a confrontation involving security operatives at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

According to reports, operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission allegedly seized El-Rufai’s international passport and attempted to arrest him upon his arrival from Cairo, Egypt.

Reacting to the development, Atiku said the incident and the public resistance that followed should serve as a lesson to authorities.

He noted that citizens at the airport spontaneously opposed the move to detain the former governor, describing the action as a sign of deep public anger.

“I hope those in authority will learn from what happened at the airport because it was ordinary Nigerians who resisted the arrest,” he said.

He cautioned that continued disregard for citizens’ fundamental rights could have serious consequences for national stability.

“What they don’t understand is that there could be a revolution in this country if people are continually pushed to the wall and made to endure violations of their human rights. What happened at the airport was absolutely uncalled for,” he added.