Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over the worsening security situation and economic hardship in the country, accusing the Presidency of shifting responsibility onto Nigerians and the media.
In a statement issued on Wednesday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described as troubling recent remarks suggesting that many kidnapping incidents occur because citizens ignore police warnings against travelling at night.
According to him, such comments imply that Nigerians can only be safe for a limited number of hours each day.
“Is the presidency admitting that Nigerians can only be safe for a few hours of the day? Is this an official declaration that Africa’s largest economy has been reduced to an eight-hour economy where citizens must shut down their businesses, abandon legitimate travel, and retreat indoors once the sun sets?” Atiku asked.
The former vice president argued that the primary responsibility of any government is to protect lives and property, stressing that citizens should not be blamed when criminal attacks occur.
“The primary duty of any government is the protection of lives and property. Citizens do not surrender their freedoms in exchange for curfews imposed by fear,” he said.
Atiku maintained that insecurity across the country is evident in the daily experiences of Nigerians and cannot be dismissed as media exaggeration. He cited killings in Benue and Plateau states, bandit attacks in Zamfara, Katsina and Niger states, as well as recurring kidnappings and terrorist activities in several parts of the country.
“A trader travelling from Kano to Lagos, a businessman returning from Abuja to Kaduna, a farmer transporting produce to market, or a family embarking on a legitimate journey should not be blamed when criminals attack them. The blame belongs squarely where it should — on those charged with securing the country,” he stated.
He warned that normalising insecurity by advising citizens to avoid travelling at certain hours could have serious economic consequences.
“A nation cannot prosper when its people are told that safety ends at sunset. Economies grow because people can move freely, trade freely, and conduct lawful activities without fear,” he said.
Beyond security concerns, Atiku accused the Tinubu administration of being disconnected from the economic realities facing Nigerians, noting that hunger, inflation, unemployment and declining purchasing power have continued to worsen.
“The father who goes to bed wondering how to provide the next meal for his family does not need a newspaper report to confirm hardship,” he said.
The former presidential candidate also faulted what he described as attempts by the Presidency to blame the media for reporting insecurity and economic challenges, insisting that journalists were merely reflecting the realities experienced by citizens.
“Blaming journalists for reporting insecurity and hardship is like blaming a thermometer for a fever,” Atiku said.
He urged the government to focus on addressing the country’s challenges rather than managing public perception.
“Nigeria does not need explanations for suffering. Nigeria needs solutions. Nigeria does not need lectures about perception. Nigeria needs results,” he added.
The statement comes amid growing public concern over the rising cost of living and persistent security challenges across parts of the country, issues that have remained at the centre of national discourse since the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the naira by the Tinubu administration.
