The Presidency has responded to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s criticism of the Federal Government over the reported deaths of 5,091 Nigerians in violent incidents within three months, saying the former vice president deliberately overlooked the security gains recorded by the administration.
The Presidency maintained that security agencies had, during the same period, eliminated between 13,000 and 20,000 terrorists and rescued at least 10,000 Nigerians from captivity.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, made the position known in an interview with one of our correspondents while reacting to a statement issued earlier by Atiku’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu.
Atiku had described President Bola Tinubu’s security record as “soaked in blood” and argued that the reported death toll amounted to a strong case for the government to leave office.
Ajayi, however, challenged the former vice president to acknowledge the operations carried out by the military, police and Department of State Services (DSS).
He said, “In the last three months, the security agencies have, according to official figures, killed between 13,000 to 20,000 terrorists. They have rescued at least 10,000 of Nigerians across the DSS, the police, the military. And this is according to official reports.
“So, every day the military, the police, the DSS are rescuing people. So, why is Atiku not commending them for that? Are those people who were rescued not important?”
The presidential aide accused Atiku of deliberately concentrating on negative security statistics because, in his view, they suited the former vice president’s political strategy.
“He cannot focus on that because it doesn’t serve his politics of despair. All he wants to focus on is despondency to sell fear to Nigerians. What it serves is warped politics. It is politics without conscience,” Ajayi said.
He pointed to the recent rescue of 308 Nigerians abducted in parts of the North-Central region as an example of ongoing security operations.
“Just last week, 308 Nigerians were rescued from around Niger State, including those abducted in Kwara and part of Niger.
“Go to the official handles of the police, the DSS and the army. You will see reports of Nigerians, women, children, men, rescued from across the states, either from kidnappers, bandits, or Boko Haram. If you sum up those figures, they are more than 10,000,” he said.
Ajayi added that security operations were not limited to rescuing victims, noting that troops were also conducting offensive operations against terrorist and criminal networks.
“Our armed forces are eliminating terrorists. They are arresting them in their numbers, disrupting their operations, arresting their logistic suppliers and their informants every day.”
He questioned why Atiku had not highlighted those developments, accusing him of attempting to “sow the seed of fear” and hopelessness among Nigerians for political gain.
The presidential aide also criticised Atiku’s approach as a former vice president, saying his status as a statesman should require a more constructive posture.
“Of course, he’s desperate. Atiku is desperate, so he has forgotten that he’s supposed to be a statesman.
“He is somebody who has served as the Vice President of this country and should speak in a dignified manner.
“He should seek the good of the country, not sell hopelessness every day, hoping it will help him win election next year. He will not win the election. Nigerians have seen through him,” he said.
Ajayi further predicted victory for Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election, attributing his confidence to what he described as improvements in the fight against insecurity and insurgency.
“Nigerians have always rejected Atiku, and Nigerians will continue to reject him. And in the next election, he will be rejected largely again.
“President Tinubu will win election next year handsomely because he is winning the war against insecurity, he is winning the war on insurgency, he is stabilising the polity, and he’s going to win his election, no matter the campaign of calumny, no matter the the antics of Atiku and his cohort,” Ajayi said.
Atiku Accuses Tinubu Government of Security Failure
Atiku had earlier criticised the administration over the reported killing of 5,091 Nigerians within three months, describing the figure as evidence of the government’s failure to fulfil its constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property.
The figures were based on reports by SBM Intelligence, a Lagos-based geopolitical research and strategic communications consultancy that tracks violent deaths, kidnappings and other security incidents across Nigeria.
In his statement, Atiku said, “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. 5,091 reported killings in just three months should trouble the conscience of any government.”
He also linked the security crisis to what he described as fiscal indiscipline, wasteful spending and inadequate implementation of appropriated funds.
“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.
“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.
The former vice president argued that the government’s spending priorities had affected the operational effectiveness of the Armed Forces and other security agencies.
While welcoming the recently announced increase in military pay, Atiku maintained that better salaries alone would not be enough to address the challenges facing troops.
“Our soldiers deserve better pay, but morale is about much more than salaries.
“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 for better implementation of defence and national security budgets, urging the government to cut wasteful spending and redirect resources towards protecting citizens.
“A government that cannot protect its citizens has failed the first test of governance.
“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 said.
Atiku also argued that the reported death toll justified a change of government.
“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.”
Police Reject Atiku’s Security Figures
The Nigeria Police Force separately challenged Atiku’s assessment, saying available security intelligence indicated that violent crime had declined.
Force spokesperson Ani Iniedu said, “I would not want to argue with somebody of his standing. However, if you check the analytics online from several security intelligence data, you will discover that in the past six months, violent crime in Nigeria has drastically reduced. That is the global data that’s available online. That data speaks for itself.”
The Federal Government has continued to point to recent security operations as evidence of progress.
Among the developments cited are the rescue of Oriire schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State after 56 days in captivity in July, as well as the rescue of 308 Nigerians abducted in Kwara and Niger states in early August.
The latter operation was carried out through a coordinated effort involving the National Counter-Terrorism Centre, the Armed Forces, DSS and Nigeria Police Force.
President Tinubu welcomed the rescue and directed security agencies to improve early-warning systems and community-based intelligence gathering to reduce the risk of future mass abductions.
Atiku, who is contesting the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, has remained a vocal critic of the Tinubu administration’s handling of both security and the economy since losing the 2023 presidential election to Tinubu.
