Atiku Blasts Tinubu Government Over Insecurity as Bandits Sack Kwara Community

Mounting violence in Nigeria’s North-Central has drawn sharp criticism from former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar, who accused the Bola Tinubu administration of failing to protect lives and property. His comments followed reports that bandits recently overran Ndanakun village in Patigi Local Government Area of Kwara State, forcing residents to flee.

In a statement shared on Facebook Tuesday, Atiku described the situation as a “monumental failure” of governance, warning that insecurity in the region had reached “alarming levels.” He said Kwara, once considered safe, had now become a hotspot for banditry and kidnappings, while Niger State continued to suffer attacks on military bases, the killing of soldiers, and even massacres in places of worship. Plateau and Benue, he added, “continue to bury their dead while the Federal Government looks away.”

By his estimate, over 10,000 lives have been lost in northern states within two years of Tinubu’s presidency, with Benue alone accounting for more than half. He faulted the administration for ignoring the killings while focusing on silencing the opposition through “thugs, infiltrators, and hired hooligans.” Atiku also accused security agencies of complicity, citing their failure to intervene when political gatherings were disrupted in Kaduna, Kebbi and Ogun States.

“You are funded by taxpayers, not by the APC,” Atiku cautioned the police, urging them to remain neutral, fair, and constitutional. “Anything less is betrayal of public trust.”

Residents of Patigi told newsmen they had endured at least four raids in two months, with farms destroyed, livestock stolen, and villagers abducted. A video obtained by newsmen showed a narrator lamenting their plight. On August 31, armed men invaded Sabongeri village near Ndanakun, killing two people and abducting another. The previous day, bandits stormed a mosque in Patigi during evening prayers, killing 45-year-old Alhaji Dahiru when he resisted a kidnap attempt. Eyewitnesses said the attackers, numbering at least seven, escaped on motorcycles after shooting him.

Meanwhile, Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq convened a security council meeting on Monday to review clearance operations against non-state actors. His spokesman, Rafiu Ajakaye, said the discussions focused on arrests, prosecutions, and arms recovery. The governor commended security agencies for their sacrifices and urged residents to remain vigilant and share intelligence to aid the fight against banditry.