Insecurity: FG Has Failed to Learn From Past Attacks — Atiku
Former Vice President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress ahead of the 2027 elections, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Federal Government’s handling of insecurity, saying the administration of President Bola Tinubu has failed to learn from previous terrorist attacks and adapt its security strategy.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said terrorists and bandits have continued to improve their methods while the government relies on outdated approaches that have not produced lasting results.
He warned that insecurity, once concentrated mainly in northern Nigeria, has now spread to other parts of the country, showing that the nation’s security architecture is struggling to contain evolving threats.
According to the former vice president, violent attacks across the country have followed a repeated pattern in which citizens mourn victims, government officials make promises, committees are set up, and yet fresh attacks continue without meaningful reforms.
“At every stage, terrorists learn from their operations, refine their tactics and exploit weaknesses, but the government appears unwilling to do the same,” he stated.
Atiku referenced incidents ranging from the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls to recent attacks and kidnappings in different parts of the country, insisting that authorities should have drawn lessons from past tragedies to prevent similar occurrences.
He called for a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s National Counterterrorism Policy and proposed the establishment of a Terrorism Violence Peer Review Mechanism involving affected communities, security agencies, local leaders and other stakeholders to study past attacks and improve future responses.
The ADC chieftain also advocated the creation of specialised Counterterrorism Fusion Centres across the six geopolitical zones to strengthen intelligence sharing among the military, police, DSS, NSCDC, immigration authorities, customs officials and local vigilante groups.
Beyond military action, Atiku stressed the importance of intelligence-led operations, stronger border security and efforts to disrupt terrorist financing networks, arguing that military deployments alone cannot defeat terrorism.
He further linked the security crisis to governance failures, noting that poverty, unemployment, illiteracy and neglect have created conditions that allow extremist groups to recruit vulnerable citizens.
The former vice president also proposed a National Victims and Survivors Support Framework to provide psychological support, education assistance and economic recovery programmes for victims of terrorist attacks.
Atiku questioned the impact of huge security budgets over the years, saying Nigerians are less secure today despite trillions of naira allocated to defence.
According to him, the problem goes beyond funding and reflects failures in strategy, coordination, accountability and leadership.
He urged the Tinubu administration to move beyond rhetoric and implement practical reforms capable of restoring public confidence and improving the protection of lives and property across the country.
