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Former Vice President of Nigeria and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has described President Bola Tinubu’s scorecard as tainted by bloodshed.
Atiku made the remarks in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
He said the reported deaths went beyond statistics, arguing that they reflected the human cost of insecurity and what he described as the government’s failure to deploy sufficient resources, discipline and urgency to address the crisis.
“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,” Atiku said.
“Five thousand and ninety-one reported killings in just three months should trouble the conscience of any government.”
The former vice president linked the security crisis to what he described as fiscal indiscipline, wasteful spending and inadequate implementation of appropriated funds under the Tinubu administration.
“These figures are the human cost of every padded budget, every frivolous expenditure and every failure to fully implement funds appropriated for critical national priorities,” he said.
Atiku argued that inadequate funding for security agencies could undermine their ability to confront terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes.
“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.
He further accused the government of treating budgetary allocations as an inconvenience while directing public funds towards what he called “wasteful and politically expedient projects.”
According to him, such practices weaken national security and limit the capacity of the armed forces and other security agencies to respond effectively to threats.
Atiku also welcomed the recently announced salary increase for military personnel but said better pay alone would not resolve the challenges confronting troops.
“Our soldiers deserve better pay, but morale is about much more than salaries,” he said.
“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 called on the government to reduce waste, eliminate questionable spending and improve the implementation of budgetary allocations, particularly those targeted at defence and national security.
“A government that cannot protect its citizens has failed the first test of governance,” Atiku said.
“Nigerians cannot continue to pay with their lives for the failures, waste and misplaced priorities of an administration that has failed in its most basic constitutional duty.”
He described each death linked to terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes as a failure of the state to protect its citizens.
“These are not mere statistics. They were fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, breadwinners and citizens who had every right to expect protection from their government,” he said.
Atiku concluded by using the reported death toll to reinforce his criticism of the administration.
“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,” he said.
PRESS STATEMENT
5,091 KILLED IN THREE MONTHS: TINUBU’S SCORECARD IS SOAKED IN BLOOD — ATIKU
Former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has described reports that 5,091 Nigerians were killed in violent… pic.twitter.com/gWI0vxaL34
— Phrank Shaibu (@phrankangel) August 9, 2026
