Atiku blasts Tinubu govt over rising killings in North-central

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of abandoning the North-Central region to bloodshed, saying insecurity in the area has reached alarming levels under the current government.

In a statement on Tuesday, Atiku said states such as Kwara, Niger, Plateau, and Benue have witnessed a resurgence of killings, kidnappings, and militant attacks, while the Federal Government “looks away.”

“Kwara, once safe, is now a hotspot of bandit and kidnap attacks.

Niger State has seen militants attack military bases, murder soldiers, and even massacre worshippers in a mosque.

Plateau and Benue continue to bury their dead while the Federal Government pretends nothing is wrong,” the statement read.

The former Vice President claimed that by May 2025, over 10,000 lives had been lost in Northern states in the two years of Tinubu’s rule, with Benue State accounting for more than half. He lamented that mass killings have since continued weekly.

Atiku further accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of focusing on suppressing the opposition rather than addressing insecurity, alleging that the party had used “thugs, infiltrators, and hired hooligans” to disrupt political meetings in Kaduna, Kebbi, and Ogun.

He also criticized security agencies for failing to act in those cases, insisting that their silence and inaction amounted to complicity.

“Violence is a vicious circle that will eventually consume those who use it.

Any politician who needs violence to win is desperate, unpopular, and dangerous to democracy,” Atiku warned.

He reminded the Nigeria Police to remain neutral, stressing that they are funded by taxpayers and not the ruling party. “Anything less is betrayal of public trust,” he added.