Former Vice-President and presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Bola Tinubu administration over worsening insecurity in Benue State, arguing that Nigerians should not bear the burden of higher fuel prices while continuing to lose their lives to violence.
Atiku spoke on Monday while receiving ADC candidates contesting various elective positions in Benue State.
He described Benue as the “Food Basket of the Nation” and said the security crisis in the state was threatening agricultural production while contributing to Nigeria’s rising cost of living.
Citing an Amnesty International report, Atiku said 6,896 people were killed in Benue during the first two years of the Tinubu administration.
“Benue is the Food Basket of the Nation. Today, that basket is bleeding.”
He said many of those affected were farmers and residents whose livelihoods had been disrupted by insecurity.
According to Atiku, when farmers are forced away from their land, the impact is eventually felt by consumers through higher food prices.
“When Benue cannot farm, Nigeria cannot eat cheaply.”
He listed yam, rice, beans, vegetables and meat among the food items that could become more expensive when agricultural production is disrupted.
Atiku described insecurity as more than a security problem, saying it had become an additional financial burden on families already struggling with higher living costs.
“Insecurity is not only a security crisis; it is now a cost-of-living tax on every Nigerian family.”
Atiku Links Insecurity to Fuel Costs
The ADC candidate also linked his criticism to the removal of the petrol subsidy.
He argued that Nigerians had accepted higher fuel costs on the understanding that the additional government resources would be used to improve development and security.
Atiku said his own experience as a farmer had given him firsthand knowledge of how insecurity affects agricultural production, livelihoods and food prices.
“My farms have suffered from theft and disruption.”
He questioned the security outcomes achieved despite what he described as significant government resources and asked where the results of those resources were.
“So Nigerians are entitled to ask a simple question: Where is the security? Where are the results?”
Atiku argued that if Nigerians are required to pay more for petrol so government can generate additional resources, they should not simultaneously be forced to pay with their lives because of insecurity.
“If Nigerians must pay more for fuel so government can have more resources, and enormous concessions are being approved in the name of national priorities, then Nigerians should not also be paying with their lives.”
Calls for Security and Dialogue in Benue
Atiku said the security crisis in Benue could be addressed through effective security measures, dialogue and protection of livelihoods.
He recalled his previous involvement in peace efforts between Tiv and Fulani communities, insisting that criminality should not be linked to ethnicity.
“A killer is a killer. A thief is a thief.”
He called for criminals to face punishment while farmers and livestock owners are protected to restore peaceful coexistence.
Atiku also told ADC candidates in Benue that their political responsibility should go beyond winning elections.
He said their priority should include protecting lives, restoring livelihoods, reviving agricultural production and making life more affordable for residents.
Source: Statement by Atiku Abubakar.
