‘Tinubu Removed Subsidy, Government Got Resources, Benue Still Pays With Blood’ — Atiku

 

By Abdullahi Musa 

Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Bola Tinubu administration over persistent insecurity in Benue State, linking the violence to food inflation and the wider cost-of-living crisis.

Atiku made the remarks in a statement following a meeting with ADC candidates contesting various elective positions in Benue State.

Describing Benue as the “Food Basket of the Nation,” the former Vice-President said insecurity had severely disrupted farming activities and threatened the livelihoods of communities across the state.

Atiku cited an Amnesty International report which, according to him, recorded 6,896 deaths in Benue State during the first two years of the Tinubu administration.

He said the figures represented farmers killed or displaced from their farms, families forced from their ancestral communities and communities affected by persistent violence.

“And when Benue cannot farm, Nigeria cannot eat cheaply,” Atiku said.

He argued that insecurity in agricultural communities was no longer solely a security issue, but had become an economic burden affecting food prices across the country.

According to him, farmers driven from their land eventually affect the prices of commodities including yam, rice, beans, vegetables and meat.

“Insecurity is not only a security crisis; it is now a cost-of-living tax on every Nigerian family,” he said.

Atiku also linked his criticism to his personal experience as a farmer, saying his own farms had suffered theft and disruption as a result of insecurity.

“I speak about this not only as a former Vice President, but as a farmer who has felt the consequences of insecurity,” he said.

The ADC candidate questioned the effectiveness of government spending on security, particularly following the removal of the petrol subsidy.

He recalled that Nigerians were told the subsidy removal would free significant resources for development and security.

Atiku also referenced figures attributed to the Nigeria Customs Service, alleging that about ₦34 trillion in import-duty exemption approvals were recorded in 2025, with a substantial portion reportedly connected to military hardware.

He consequently questioned the security outcomes Nigerians were receiving despite the financial sacrifices they had been asked to make.

“So Nigerians are entitled to ask a simple question: Where is the security? Where are the results?” he asked.

Atiku said Nigerians should not be expected to bear the burden of higher fuel prices and insecurity simultaneously.

“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,” he said.

The former Vice-President maintained that the crisis in Benue could be addressed through a combination of effective security operations, dialogue and peaceful coexistence among communities.

He recalled his previous involvement in efforts to broker peace between Tiv and Fulani communities, stressing that criminality should not be attributed to an entire ethnic group.

“I know this crisis is solvable. I have helped broker peace between Tiv and Fulani communities before, and I remain convinced that criminality has no tribe,” he said.

Atiku called for criminals to be prosecuted while urging authorities to protect farmers, livestock owners and vulnerable communities.

He said ADC candidates in Benue should view their political participation as an opportunity to address insecurity, restore livelihoods and revive agricultural production rather than merely seeking electoral victories.

“Their mission must be greater than winning elections. It must be about protecting lives, restoring livelihoods, reviving the Food Basket of the Nation, and making life affordable again,” he said.

Atiku concluded by accusing the Tinubu administration of failing to deliver sufficient security despite the economic sacrifices Nigerians have made.

“Tinubu removed the subsidy. Nigerians paid the price. Government got the resources. Benue should not still be paying with blood,” he said.

He called for stronger security measures and renewed investment in agriculture, concluding with the message: “Secure Benue. Restore the Food Basket. Make Nigeria affordable again.”