Presidency, Atiku Clash Over Security Record and Recent Casualty Figures

A political dispute has erupted between the Presidency and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar over the federal government’s security record and recent reported casualty figures across the country.

The confrontation followed a statement issued by Atiku’s media aide, Phrank Shaibu, which cited data from research firm SBM Intelligence indicating that 5,091 Nigerians were killed in violent incidents over a three-month period. Atiku described the death toll as a damning indictment of President Bola Tinubu’s administration, arguing that it highlighted a fundamental failure to protect citizens. He attributed the insecurity to fiscal indiscipline, budget padding, and inadequate operational support for frontline security personnel, maintaining that the figures justify a change of leadership in the upcoming 2027 presidential election.

In a swift rebuttal, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, dismissed Atiku’s assessment as a “politics of despair.” Ajayi stated that the opposition leader selectively ignored major achievements by the Armed Forces, noting that security agencies had eliminated between 13,000 and 20,000 terrorists and rescued over 10,000 abducted citizens within the same timeframe. Pointing to recent joint security operations in the North-Central region—including the rescue of 308 individuals in Niger and Kwara states—Ajayi expressed confidence that the administration’s progress on security and governance would secure President Tinubu’s re-election in 2027.

Disputing the claims further, Force Public Relations Officer Ani Iniedu stated that global security analytics indicate a significant reduction in violent crime across Nigeria over the past six months. Government representatives also pointed to recent successful operations, such as the rescue of abducted schoolchildren and teachers in Oyo State, as evidence of improving intelligence and operational efficiency.

Atiku, who is contesting the presidency in 2027 under the platform of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), remains an outspoken critic of the current administration’s security and economic policies.