Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the renewed wave of killings in Plateau State, accusing the Federal Government of failing in its responsibility to protect lives and secure vulnerable communities.
Reacting to the latest violence in Barkin Ladi Local Government Area, Atiku described the attacks as part of a “disturbing and coordinated pattern of terror” that continues to claim innocent lives across Plateau communities.
In a statement released on Thursday through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former presidential candidate expressed outrage over reports that armed attackers invaded the Nding Susut community on Tuesday night, killing several residents before allegedly returning the following day to attack mourners gathered for a mass burial.
“The violent crises in Plateau State have become an open sore that Nigeria must urgently heal,” Atiku stated.
“What is happening is no longer random violence. It is a recurring pattern of coordinated terror attacks against vulnerable communities,” he added.
The former vice president said it was deeply troubling that attackers could reportedly return to the same community within 24 hours to unleash another round of bloodshed without being stopped by security forces.
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,” Atiku said.
He also criticised what he described as conflicting narratives surrounding the incident, noting that while residents and community sources insisted mourners were targeted during the burial, official police accounts appeared to dispute parts of the reports.
“What Nigerians deserve at this moment is not bureaucratic contradiction or institutional defensiveness, but urgent action, accountability, and protection for human lives,” he stated.
Atiku did not spare the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, accusing the government of lacking a clear and effective strategy to combat insecurity and repeated attacks in Plateau State.
“There can be no justification whatsoever for this repeated failure. Nigerians are tired of condolences without protection, and outrage without action,” he said.
“The inability of security agencies to dominate and secure areas that have become repeated theatres of bloodshed is deeply troubling,” he added.
The former vice president also referenced the March 29 killings in Jos North, claiming that President Tinubu failed to visit the worst-hit communities during his trip to Plateau State in April.
“Leadership demands more than carefully staged appearances; it demands empathy, courage, and decisive action,” Atiku stated.
“The Tinubu administration has failed the people of Plateau State in its constitutional duty to protect lives and property,” he added.
Citing available reports, Atiku claimed that more than 2,500 people have reportedly lost their lives in Plateau State between 2023 and 2025, describing the situation as a worsening humanitarian and security crisis.
“These are not mere statistics. They are fathers, mothers, children, farmers, worshippers, and breadwinners whose lives have been cut short,” he said.
“What is even more painful is that there is no convincing indication that this administration has developed any coherent plan to stop the killings,” Atiku added.
The former vice president warned that merely investigating attacks after they occur would not solve the crisis unless authorities dismantle the structures enabling the violence.
“Investigating one massacre after another without dismantling the structures that enable these atrocities will achieve little beyond temporarily calming public outrage,” he stated.
Calling for urgent intervention, Atiku urged the Federal Government, security agencies, and Plateau State authorities to adopt a proactive and intelligence-driven security strategy capable of preventing future attacks.
“The people of Plateau State deserve more than sympathy visits and press statements,” he said.
“They deserve a robust, intelligence-driven, and proactive security architecture capable of preventing attacks before they happen,” he concluded.
