Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a blistering attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing his administration of failing to contain Nigeria’s worsening security crisis and declaring that “the blood of Nigerians will judge” the government over the rising wave of killings across the country. In a strongly worded statement released on Wednesday, 29 April 2026, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) described the escalating violence as a national disgrace and called on the president to take immediate and decisive action. “The blood of Nigerians being shed daily under this administration will not be in vain. It will testify against you at the bar of history,” Atiku said. “This is not the time for excuses or propaganda. It is time for action.”
Atiku’s outburst came in response to yet another week of bloodshed in multiple states, including the killing of a 15-year-old volunteer teacher in Sokoto, the murder of a village head and three others in Zamfara, and an attack on a church in Ekiti State that left a pastor dead and several worshippers abducted. The former vice president singled out the recent massacre in Gurbi village, Kankara LGA, Katsina State, where bandits killed 15 people and injured two others on 28 April, noting that security forces arrived only after the attackers had fled. “Every day, we wake up to news of fresh killings, mass abductions and unprovoked attacks on innocent citizens, yet the government acts as if it is powerless to stop the slide,” Atiku added.
His statement comes just 48 hours after YIAGA Africa, a prominent civil society organisation tracking electoral and security issues, issued an alarming report documenting a sharp rise in violent attacks across Nigeria in the first quarter of 2026. According to the report, at least 2,847 Nigerians were killed in violent incidents between January and March 2026, with the North-West and North-Central zones accounting for nearly two-thirds of the fatalities. The report noted that while military operations such as Operation FANSAN YAMMA have recorded some successes, the overall security environment has deteriorated, with bandits expanding their reach into previously peaceful areas such as Ekiti and Kogi states.
Atiku’s condemnation also reignited debate over the federal government’s approach to counter-terrorism, particularly its continued reliance on military action over negotiation. President Tinubu has repeatedly ruled out dialogue with bandits, declaring last year that “we will not negotiate with criminals.” Yet critics argue that the absence of a coordinated political solution has allowed the violence to spread unchecked. “When you take a purely kinetic approach without addressing the root causes – poverty, unemployment, and the proliferation of small arms – you are merely containing a fire, not extinguishing it,” security analyst Kabir Adamu told our reporter.
The presidency had not issued an official response to Atiku’s comments as of Thursday evening, but a source close to the State House described the former vice president’s statement as “irresponsible and opportunistic.” “These are difficult times, and no responsible leader should weaponise the tragedy of insecurity for political gain,” the source said. Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, has been chairing emergency meetings with service chiefs and state governors, with a focus on intelligence sharing and rapid response. At a press conference on Wednesday, Ribadu acknowledged the challenges but insisted that progress was being made. “We are not where we want to be, but we are not where we used to be,” he said.
Beyond the political sparring, the toll on ordinary Nigerians is immeasurable. In Kankara, the 15 victims of the Gurbi attack were buried on Wednesday, as grieving relatives and neighbours held a mass prayer session for the dead. In Sokoto, the Minanata community remains in shock over the killing of 15‑year‑old volunteer teacher Usman Halilu. In Zamfara, families of the 10 people abducted from Kware village waited anxiously for news of their loved ones. None of them are politicians. None of them are part of any power struggle. They are simply Nigerians who woke up one morning and found themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time – or, as many would argue, in a country where the state has failed to guarantee its most basic duty: the right to life.
As Atiku’s words reverberate across the nation, the question remains whether the Tinubu administration will respond with more than the usual official statements. The president, who is currently preparing for the 2027 election campaign, has yet to visit any of the affected communities. His recent trips to Kano and Lagos focused on commissioning roads and housing projects, not on consoling grieving families. The opposition has seized on this gap, with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) planning nationwide protests over insecurity on 1 May. Whether the government will adopt a different course or continue its current trajectory may well determine not just the outcome of the next election, but whether Nigerians can sleep peacefully in their own homes.
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