Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticised the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the worsening security situation in the country, saying the Federal Government has failed in its primary duty of protecting lives and property.
Atiku spoke against the backdrop of the recent abduction of schoolchildren and teachers in Ogbomoso area of Oyo State and the killing of several residents in Katsina State by armed attackers.
In a statement issued on Tuesday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president described the incidents as proof that leadership under the current administration had collapsed.
He also expressed sadness over reports that one of the teachers abducted during the Ogbomoso attack was killed by the gunmen.
According to Atiku, the repeated attacks across different parts of the country show that criminal groups now operate freely because they no longer fear the Nigerian state.
“At a time when armed criminals are abducting schoolchildren, slaughtering innocent citizens, and turning communities into graveyards, President Tinubu’s response remains the same tired ritual: condemn the killings, threaten that the perpetrators will face the full wrath of the law, and then wait for the next massacre,” the statement said.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said Nigerians had become tired of official condemnations that are not followed by visible action.
“Nigerians have heard this script too many times. It has become painfully predictable and utterly meaningless,” he said.
He accused the Federal Government of reacting only after tragedies had already happened instead of taking proactive steps to stop attacks before they occur.
“President Tinubu must stop governing by obituary statements. Enough of the recycled outrage. Enough of the empty threats. Nigerians are dying, and this government keeps responding with press releases,” Atiku added.
The latest attack in Oyo State has again raised concerns about the safety of schools in Nigeria, especially in rural communities where security presence is often weak.
Governor Seyi Makinde had confirmed that seven teachers were abducted during the attack in Oriire Local Government Area of the state, while one teacher was reportedly killed by the attackers.
The incident revived memories of previous mass abductions of students and teachers in several northern states, including Kaduna, Zamfara and Niger, where armed groups attacked schools and kidnapped hundreds of pupils for ransom.
Over the years, school abductions have become one of the major security challenges facing Nigeria. Many parents in affected areas have withdrawn their children from schools because of fear of attacks.
In Katsina State, communities have also continued to suffer deadly attacks by bandits and other armed groups. Residents frequently report killings, kidnappings and destruction of homes and farms.
The North-West region has remained one of the worst-hit areas in the country, with several local government areas battling insecurity despite military operations and repeated assurances from the Federal Government.
Atiku said the growing confidence of criminal groups was a sign that the authority of the state was weakening.
“A President who only finds his voice after blood has been spilt is not leading but presiding over failure,” he stated.
“The horrifying abduction in Ogbomoso and the gruesome killings in Katsina are not isolated incidents. They are part of a grim national pattern in which criminals operate with terrifying confidence because they no longer fear the Nigerian state.”
He further argued that the ability of terrorists and bandits to invade schools, attack communities and escape without punishment showed that the country’s security structure needed urgent reform.
“When terrorists can invade schools, abduct children and teachers, butcher pregnant women, sack entire communities, and disappear without consequence, it is because the authority of the state has collapsed,” he said.
The former vice president also questioned the frequent use of official statements after attacks, saying such responses no longer comfort grieving families.
“What comfort is the full wrath of the law to families already burying their loved ones? What solace is another presidential statement to parents now terrified that sending their children to school may be a death sentence?” he asked.
Atiku also raised concerns over reports that some authorities were allegedly trying to prevent graphic images and videos of attacks from circulating publicly.
According to him, suppressing evidence of killings instead of tackling insecurity would amount to a serious moral failure.
“Even more disturbing are reports suggesting deliberate attempts to suppress images and documentation of these atrocities from reaching the Nigerian public,” he said.
“If this government is indeed more interested in censoring evidence of mass killings than in preventing the killings themselves, then that is not merely incompetence, it is cruelty of the highest order.”
The former vice president maintained that no responsible government should attempt to hide evidence of violence against its citizens.
“No serious government hides the blood of its citizens to protect political optics,” he added.
Atiku further said the inability of the government to protect citizens while allegedly trying to control public narratives surrounding attacks showed a deeper leadership problem.
“A government that cannot protect the living but seeks to censor evidence of their deaths has lost every moral right to govern,” he declared.
“This is no longer just a security failure. It is a moral failure. A leadership failure. A national disgrace.”
Nigeria has continued to battle different security threats in recent years, including banditry, terrorism, kidnapping and communal violence.
Although the Federal Government has repeatedly said security agencies are making progress against criminal elements, attacks have continued in many communities across the country.
Many Nigerians have also called for reforms in the nation’s security system, including better intelligence gathering, improved welfare for security personnel and stronger coordination among security agencies.
Atiku called for the immediate rescue of all victims abducted in Oyo State and urged the government to strengthen security operations in vulnerable communities.
He also demanded a comprehensive overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture, insisting that Nigerians deserved more than repeated condolences after attacks.
“Nigerians deserve more than performative outrage and ceremonial condolences. They deserve a government that can protect lives, defend communities, and act before tragedy strikes, not one that merely reacts after the damage is done,” he said.