Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a blistering attack on the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu over the renewed killings in Plateau State, declaring that Nigerians are exhausted by repeated condolences without concrete protection from government.
In a strongly worded statement released Wednesday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku described the recurring bloodshed across Plateau communities as coordinated acts of terror and a reflection of what he called the federal government’s failure to provide security for citizens.
The former Vice President reacted to reports that armed attackers invaded the Nding Susut community in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area on Tuesday night, killing several residents before allegedly returning less than 24 hours later to attack mourners gathered to bury the victims.
According to Atiku, the horrifying development has exposed what he described as the frightening collapse of proactive security operations under the Tinubu administration.
“The violent crises in Plateau State have become an open sore that Nigeria must urgently heal. What is happening is no longer random violence. It is a recurring pattern of coordinated terror attacks against vulnerable communities,” Atiku said.
He argued that the ability of the attackers to allegedly return to the same community shortly after the first attack and launch another deadly assault represents a dangerous failure of intelligence gathering, rapid response, and territorial security enforcement.
“That attackers could reportedly return to the same community barely 24 hours later to unleash another round of bloodshed is a damning indictment of the government’s failure to respond swiftly to distress calls and secure vulnerable communities,” he stated.
Atiku further criticised what he described as contradictory official narratives surrounding the incident, accusing authorities of focusing more on defending institutions than addressing the fears and trauma of affected communities.
While local youth leaders and residents reportedly insisted that mourners were attacked during a mass burial, police authorities were said to have disputed aspects of the account — a development Atiku described as insensitive and distracting.
“What Nigerians deserve at this moment is not bureaucratic contradiction or institutional defensiveness, but urgent action, accountability, and protection for human lives,” he declared.
“There can be no justification whatsoever for this repeated failure. Nigerians are tired of condolences without protection, and outrage without action.”
The former presidential candidate also accused President Tinubu of lacking visible empathy and decisive leadership over the continued killings ravaging Plateau communities.
Recalling Tinubu’s April 2 visit to Plateau following the March 29 attacks in Jos North, Atiku alleged that the President failed to visit the actual communities devastated by the violence.
“Leadership demands more than carefully staged appearances; it demands empathy, courage, and decisive action,” he said.
Atiku maintained that the worsening bloodbath in Plateau reflects what he called a frightening absence of political will and operational urgency by the current administration.
“The Tinubu administration has failed the people of Plateau State in its constitutional duty to protect lives and property. The bloodbath unfolding in Plateau today is unprecedented, and it reflects a frightening lack of political will, strategic clarity, and operational urgency,” the statement added.
Citing reports and security records, Atiku claimed that more than 2,500 people have reportedly been killed in Plateau State between 2023 and 2025, warning that the killings can no longer be treated as isolated incidents.
“These are not mere statistics. They are fathers, mothers, children, farmers, worshippers, and breadwinners whose lives have been cut short while government continues to grope in the dark for solutions,” he lamented.
He also questioned the effectiveness of repeated investigations into attacks without dismantling the structures allegedly enabling the violence across rural communities.
“What is even more painful is that there is no convincing indication that this administration has developed any coherent plan to stop the killings,” he added.
The former Vice President called on the Federal Government, security agencies, and the Plateau State Government to immediately adopt a comprehensive intelligence-driven strategy capable of preventing attacks before they occur.
“The people of Plateau State deserve safety, justice, and peace — not endless mourning and empty political rhetoric,” Atiku stated.