Atiku Blasts Government Over Borgu Killings, Demands Answers on Security Spending

Former Vice President of Nigeria and Presidential Candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has vehemently condemned the reported massacre and mass abduction that occurred in the Borgu Local Government Area of Niger State. In a statement released by his media office, Abubakar characterized these tragic events as another stark indictment of Nigeria’s increasingly failing security architecture, highlighting a recurring pattern of violence and governmental inaction.

Reports indicate that more than 40 Nigerians were brutally slaughtered and numerous others abducted in Borgu, a tragedy Atiku described as familiar: terrorists strike, inflict casualties, and vanish before security forces can effectively respond. He declared the incident in Borgu a "national disgrace," asserting that Nigerians cannot continue to endure constant fatalities while the government purportedly expends billions on security measures without visible results.

Abubakar drew a poignant comparison to the ongoing plight of schoolchildren and 38 other civilians who have been held captive for over 100 days, emphasizing the lack of closure for their families. He questioned the current administration's stance, asking, "How many Nigerians must die before Tinubu accepts that his security architecture is failing?" He argued that substantial security appropriations are rendered meaningless if farmers cannot safely access their lands, travelers fear highways, and terrorists can freely invade communities to abduct citizens.

The former Vice President shifted the focus from the amount spent on security to the actual security citizens receive. He outlined his own security plan, which is founded on the principle that the balance of terror must overwhelmingly favor the Nigerian state, ensuring that criminals fear the state while citizens feel protected, not abandoned. This comprehensive approach, he explained, necessitates the integrated deployment of personnel, hardware, technology, and intelligence.

Atiku emphasized the critical role of proactive intelligence, stating that the "footprints" of terrorist activities—such as assembly points, weapons movement, financial transactions, and camp maintenance—must be converted into actionable intelligence to prevent attacks. His administration, he affirmed, would prioritize overhauling intelligence coordination, deploying advanced surveillance and geospatial technology, strengthening rapid-response capabilities, and establishing measurable performance benchmarks for security commanders.

He advocated for a fundamental shift in security strategy from reaction to anticipation, moving "from counting bodies to preventing funerals." Atiku underscored the President's ultimate responsibility, given his authority to appoint security chiefs, receive intelligence, and command resources. He asserted that the President cannot act as a detached observer when Nigerians are being massacred, as "the buck stops at his desk." Atiku extended his condolences to the families of the victims and urgently called for the immediate rescue of all abducted citizens, concluding with a sharp contrast: "Tinubu’s security architecture counts the dead. The Atiku security plan will stop the killing."