Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has issued a strong condemnation of the killing of civilians in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, describing the attack as further evidence that President Bola Tinubu's administration has failed in its most basic constitutional duty. The condemnation was contained in a statement signed on July 27 by Phrank Shaibu, Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication.
Atiku Condemns Killing of Innocent Nigerians
"The reported killing of scores of innocent Nigerians in Kauru Local Government Area of Kaduna State is heartbreaking and unacceptable," Shaibu quoted Atiku as saying. "Every life lost is a painful indictment of a government that has repeatedly promised security but continues to preside over an expanding landscape of bloodshed." The former vice president expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives and called for immediate action to prevent further tragedies.
Atiku directed particular criticism at federal officials whom he said had been busy making appearances on television and social media to publicize what he called an unverified letter of commendation from the United States government, even as Nigerians mourned fresh casualties in the north. He drew a pointed contrast with the United States itself, noting that the Trump administration reportedly committed approximately $750,000 to evacuate a single American citizen stranded on a remote Pacific island after a possible exposure to hantavirus.
Atiku Draws Contrast with US Government Action
"That is the difference between governments that regard every citizen's life as sacred and those that appear more concerned about international applause than the security of their own people," the statement read. Atiku said the people of Southern Kaduna and Nigerians broadly did not require praise from foreign capitals. "They need to sleep without fear, travel without anxiety, cultivate their farms in peace and raise their children without the constant threat of terrorists, bandits and other violent criminals," the statement added.
Beyond the immediate condemnation, Atiku used the statement to call for a full review of Nigeria's security architecture. He said Nigerians deserved intelligence-driven operations, swift prosecution of perpetrators, and measures that could prevent future attacks, rather than repeated official condemnations issued after lives had already been lost. He also raised concern about the possibility that the massacre could be politically motivated, given Nigeria's approach to another election cycle. He urged security agencies to take pre-emptive steps to protect communities that could be targeted in the months ahead.
Call for Overhaul of Security Architecture
Atiku extended condolences to the families of those killed and prayed for the recovery of the injured. "History will not remember how many letters of commendation a government claimed to have received," the statement concluded. "It will remember whether it protected its people when they needed protection the most."
Meanwhile, in a separate statement dated July 26, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of spending nearly three years worsening Nigeria's electricity crisis before finally landing on a policy direction he first proposed more than two decades ago. Through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the power minister's recent admission that Nigeria cannot rely solely on large, centralized power plants amounts to a long-overdue endorsement of decentralized electricity generation, a position he had consistently held since his time as Vice President.
