The Presidency has launched a fierce defence of the federal government’s decision to rescue the abducted sister of Minister of Power Adebayo Adelabu, hitting back at critics with a stinging accusation that those questioning the operation are thinking like terrorists.

The strongly-worded response from the Presidency came amid a wave of public criticism over the circumstances surrounding the rescue of Adelabu’s sister, with many Nigerians questioning whether the operation represented preferential treatment for the family of a government official at a time when ordinary citizens continue to suffer abductions across the country with little or no government intervention.

Dismissing such criticisms, the Presidency insisted that the rescue was a legitimate security operation and that those casting aspersions on the government’s actions were displaying a mentality that aligns more with criminal and terrorist thinking than with responsible civic engagement.

The response has however done little to quell public anger, with many Nigerians arguing that the government’s swift action in securing the release of a minister’s relative stands in sharp contrast to the slow and often inadequate response extended to victims of kidnapping from ordinary Nigerian families, particularly in the north west and north central regions where banditry and abduction remain rampant.

Critics have continued to demand equal urgency and resources in the rescue of all abducted Nigerians regardless of their social or political connections, insisting that the safety of every citizen must be treated with the same level of priority by the Tinubu administration.

The controversy has reignited longstanding debates about equity, justice and the perception of a two-tiered security response system in Nigeria that appears to favour the powerful and well-connected over ordinary citizens.