*Atiku: President Obsessed With Crushing Opposition Than Tackling Insecurity
PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has condemned Monday evening, March 16, terrorists attacks in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, which he described as desperate attempts by criminal elements to instill fear.
Tinubu, in a statement by the Presidency on Tuesday, March 17, in Abuja, lamented the loss of lives and sympathised with the injured and residents of the state, adding: “The recent news from Maiduguri is profoundly upsetting.
“I mourn those who lost their lives, sympathise with the injured and stand in solidarity with the people of Borno during this challenging time.”
Tinubu said the attacks were the “final desperate and frantic attempts” by terrorists who are under sustained pressure from security forces across various theatres of operation, assuring Nigerians that the Federal Government would intensify efforts to eliminate all criminal elements across the country.
The President commended Nigerian soldiers and other security agencies for their courage in repelling coordinated multiple attacks on different military positions and soft spots in the state by “evil-minded terrorist groups,” saying the military and civilian task forces would decisively curtail their activities.
Tinubu recalled his recent approval of additional equipment and operational support for security agencies after a meeting with security and intelligence chiefs.
He directed security chiefs to relocate to Maiduguri to take charge of the situation, and emergency agencies to provide adequate care for the injured, noting: “There is no place in Nigeria where terrorists will find safety.
“We will locate them, confront them and completely defeat them. Nigeria will not succumb to fear.”
In his reaction, former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, criticised Tinubu over the resurgence of terrorist attacks in Borno State, accusing his administration of prioritising politics over national security.
Atiku said the worsening violence, including the return of suicide bombings, raised serious concerns about the government’s ability to protect citizens and maintain public confidence, even as he particularly criticised Tinubu for choosing to embark on a trip to the United Kingdom (UK) hours after the attacks, rather than heading travelling to Maiduguri or remaining in Abuja console the bereaved and direct the armed forces to hunt down the attackers.
Atiku stated that while the President is abroad, residents are picking up human parts that litter the streets of Maiduguri, adding: “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.
“We urge His Majesty, the King, to know that his guest left behind fresh graves and weeping widows to come and smile for the cameras.
“Tinubu claims he sent ‘marching orders.’ The terrorists sent suicide bombers. Nigerians can see who is winning. A government that treats funerals as routine and criticism as treason has lost the moral authority to lead.”
He warned that the government risked undermining its credibility if it continued to focus on 2027 elections, instead of addressing pervasive insecurity in the nation, saying Tinubu would not campaign for 2027 on the graves of the people he failed to protect.
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 general elections expressed sadness over the attacks, saying the resurgence of suicide bombings had revived painful memories of the Boko Haram insurgency at its peak in the 2014, adding: “I am very sad at the latest terrorist attacks in Borno State and the resurfacing of suicide bombing that were hitherto defeated.”
Atiku acknowledged the sacrifices of Nigerian troops engaged in counterinsurgency operations, but stressed the need for a comprehensive review of current security strategies, decrying what he described as the government’s reliance on strong rhetoric, at a time Nigerians are more interested in tangible results, rather than official condemnations of attacks.
He said dismissing concerns about insecurity as politically-motivated is counterproductive, arguing that terrorism affects all citizens regardless of political affiliation and urging the Tinubu administration to refocus its priorities on addressing the security challenges facing the country and restoring public trust.
