Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the reported 5,091 killings across Nigeria in three months, calling it a damning verdict on President Bola Tinubu's administration and its failure to protect lives and property. The statement, released on Sunday, August 9, 2026, through Phrank Shaibu, Atiku's Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, tied the deteriorating security situation directly to what Atiku characterised as reckless management of public funds.
Atiku's Reaction to the Rising Death Toll
In his statement, Atiku highlighted the human cost behind the statistics, saying, "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. Five thousand and ninety-one reported killings in just three months should trouble the conscience of any government."
The former vice president argued that Nigeria's security crisis could not be separated from how the federal government manages its finances, accusing the administration of padding budgets, diverting public resources, and failing to fully implement funds approved for critical national priorities.
Linking Insecurity to Government Spending
Atiku stressed that the government's fiscal approach directly impacts security operations. "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.
He also addressed the recently announced pay increase for military personnel, welcoming the move but insisting that better salaries alone were not enough. "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," Atiku added.
Call to Cut Waste and Prioritize Security
Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the 2027 general elections, called on the Tinubu administration to eliminate wasteful spending and prioritise defence and security in its budget implementation. He asserted, "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 framed each of the 5,091 deaths as a separate indictment of the government's record on security, describing the victims as fathers, mothers, children, and breadwinners who had every right to expect protection from the state. "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," Atiku said.
Backing from Within the Ruling Party
Meanwhile, Legit.ng previously reported that Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of fiscal mismanagement that has directly contributed to the country's deepening insecurity, citing recent remarks by a senior senator of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) as proof. The former vice president said the intervention by Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno has confirmed what the opposition had been raising for months, particularly concerns about whether security agencies were receiving the funds set aside for them in the national budget. He argued that Senator Monguno's public questioning of budget implementation carried more weight precisely because it came from within the ruling party.
