Atiku criticises government over Borno attacks, urging urgent review of anti-terror strategies as Boko Haram resurges

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has voiced serious concern over the recent wave of terrorist attacks in Borno State, sharply criticising the federal government for its perceived failure to curb the resurgence of Boko Haram suicide bombings.

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In a statement shared via his X handle, Atiku lamented the ongoing loss of lives, recalling the peak of insurgency in 2014.

“I am very sad at the latest terrorist attacks in Borno State and the resurfacing of suicide bombings that were hitherto defeated,” he wrote.

While praising the sacrifices of Nigerian servicemen, the former vice president stressed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration must urgently review its security strategies.

“The resurgence of terrorism is capable of eroding public confidence in the ability of the government to protect its own citizens,” he said.

Atiku criticised the government for prioritising political manoeuvres over security, stating that “the Tinubu government appears to be more obsessed with crushing opposition politicians than it is with fixing the worsening security challenges.”

Highlighting public frustration, Atiku noted that official condemnations of terrorist attacks fail to satisfy citizens’ expectations.

“Nigerians are not impressed with the government’s statements condemning terrorist attacks. They are more concerned about results. Results speak louder than the tough government’s rhetoric,” he said.

Addressing President Tinubu directly, Atiku described the human toll of the attacks. “A mother in Maiduguri is not asking for press releases.

She is asking why her child was blown apart in a place the government claimed was ‘liberated.’

Our soldiers are dying with outdated equipment while the President is on a state visit to Britain, while body parts are being gathered in Borno,” he wrote.

Concluding his statement, the former vice president warned of the moral responsibilities of governance.

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“A government that treats funerals as routine and criticism as treason has lost the moral authority to lead. You cannot campaign for 2027 on the graves of the people you failed to protect in 2026,” Atiku said.