Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate for the 2027 election, Atiku Abubakar, has criticised the Federal Government’s approach to tackling insecurity, arguing that authorities have failed to learn from previous security breaches while criminal groups continue to evolve their tactics.
In a statement issued on Thursday by his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku expressed concern over the growing spread of terrorism, kidnapping, and banditry across the country. He noted that violent crimes, once largely concentrated in parts of northern Nigeria, have now expanded into other regions, exposing weaknesses in the nation’s security framework.
According to him, terrorist groups have demonstrated a capacity to study their operations, adjust strategies, and exploit security gaps, while government responses have remained largely unchanged.
He questioned why authorities have not adopted a similar culture of learning and adaptation in confronting emerging threats.
The former vice president warned against what he described as a routine response to security crises, where attacks are followed by public outrage, government promises, and investigative panels, only for similar incidents to recur without lasting solutions.
Reflecting on past tragedies, Atiku cited incidents ranging from the abduction of the Chibok schoolgirls to recent attacks in other parts of the country. He argued that lessons from previous security failures have not been effectively incorporated into national security planning.
“A country that refuses to learn from painful experiences will continue to face them,” he said.
Atiku maintained that Nigeria’s counterterrorism efforts require urgent reforms and should be driven by local realities rather than relying heavily on centrally designed or foreign-inspired models.
He called for a comprehensive review of the country’s National Counterterrorism Policy, insisting that future strategies must be informed by experiences gathered from communities directly affected by violence.
As part of his recommendations, the ADC chieftain proposed the establishment of a Terrorism Violence Peer Review Mechanism. The initiative, he said, would bring together local communities, traditional leaders, security agencies, and other stakeholders to document lessons from past attacks and integrate them into future security responses.
He also advocated the creation of Counterterrorism Fusion Centres in each of Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones to improve intelligence sharing among the military, police, intelligence agencies, immigration services, customs officials, and community vigilante groups.
Beyond military action, Atiku stressed the importance of intelligence gathering, stronger border control measures, and efforts to disrupt the financial networks that sustain terrorist operations.
He argued that effective counterterrorism campaigns worldwide have relied more on intelligence superiority than military force alone.
The former vice president further linked insecurity to broader governance challenges, including poverty, unemployment, illiteracy, and social exclusion, which he said often create opportunities for extremist recruitment.
To support victims of violence, he proposed a National Victims and Survivors Support Framework aimed at providing psychological care, educational support, and economic assistance to affected individuals and communities.
Atiku also questioned the impact of the huge sums allocated to security over the years, noting that despite trillions of naira spent on defence, many Nigerians feel less secure today than they did a decade ago.
According to him, the problem goes beyond funding and reflects shortcomings in strategy, coordination, accountability, and leadership.
His remarks come amid renewed concerns over recurring attacks by insurgents, bandits, and kidnappers across several parts of Nigeria. While the administration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu maintains that security agencies have recorded significant successes, recent incidents have continued to spark debate over the effectiveness of the country’s current security policies.
Atiku urged the Federal Government to move beyond rhetoric and implement practical, evidence-based reforms capable of restoring public confidence and improving the protection of lives and property nationwide.