Daud Olatunji
Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has accused the President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government of failing in its constitutional responsibility to protect Nigerians, following a report that 5,091 people were killed in violent incidents across the country within three months.
Atiku, through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, described the reported death toll as a damning assessment of the administration’s handling of insecurity, saying the figures should force the government to reconsider its priorities.
He made the remarks in a statement issued on Sunday amid continuing concerns over terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes across several parts of the country.
According to Atiku, the reported 5,091 deaths were not merely statistics but represented families that had lost breadwinners, parents and loved ones.
“Behind every number is a Nigerian whose life was cut short, a family thrown into mourning, children deprived of parents and communities condemned to fear,” he said.
Atiku argued that the security crisis was being worsened by what he described as fiscal indiscipline, wasteful expenditure and inadequate implementation of appropriated funds.
He alleged that poor funding and misplaced priorities were weakening the capacity of the Armed Forces and other security agencies to confront violent groups effectively.
The former Vice-President said the government could not expect security personnel to deliver effectively on the frontline while, according to him, resources meant for critical national priorities were not adequately deployed.
“You cannot run the public treasury as though it were a private purse, squander scarce resources on questionable priorities and then expect soldiers and other security personnel on the frontlines to perform miracles,” he said.
While welcoming the recently announced increase in the salaries of military personnel, Atiku said improved remuneration alone would not resolve the operational challenges confronting the nation’s security forces.
He said troops also needed modern equipment, adequate operational funding, prompt payment of allowances and improved welfare for their families.
“Our soldiers deserve better pay, but morale is about much more than salaries. They require adequate equipment, operational funding, timely allowances, proper welfare for their families and the assurance that the government they defend is as committed to their mission as they are,” he said.
Atiku urged the Federal Government to cut what he described as wasteful expenditure and ensure that funds appropriated for defence and national security were fully and efficiently implemented.
He maintained that the protection of lives and property remained the most basic responsibility of government.
The ADC presidential candidate further argued that every death resulting from terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes represented a failure of the state to provide adequate protection for its citizens.
“A government that cannot protect its citizens has failed the first test of governance,” he said.
He added that the reported death toll should serve as a measure of the administration’s security performance.
“Today, we have 5,091 reported killings in just three months, 5,091 shattered families, 5,091 indictments of this administration’s security failures, and ultimately, 5,091 reasons this government must go,” Atiku said.
The claim by Atiku comes as insecurity remains a major political and public concern, with violent attacks, kidnapping and terrorism continuing to dominate national discourse.
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