Nigeria: 5,091 Killed in 3 Months - Atiku Says Tinubu's Scorecard Is 'Soaked in Blood'

What the report says

Former Nigerian vice president and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar has sharply criticized President Bola Tinubu’s government over insecurity, citing a reported 5,091 killings in violent incidents across Nigeria over a three-month period. The remarks were carried by Leadership and distributed by AllAfrica, with the statement attributed to Atiku through his senior special assistant on public communication, Phrank Shaibu.

Atiku argued that the death toll reflects a failure of the state’s most basic duty to protect lives and property. He said the figures should not be treated as abstract statistics, but as evidence of families affected by terrorism, banditry, kidnapping and other violent crimes. He also linked the security crisis to what he called poor budget implementation, wasteful spending and misplaced priorities by the administration.

In the statement, Atiku welcomed the recent increase in military salaries but said pay alone would not solve the problems facing soldiers on the front line. He called for better equipment, funding, allowances and welfare support for security personnel, along with tighter discipline in public spending. The comments come amid continuing debate in Nigeria over rising violence and pressure on the federal government to improve security operations and the use of appropriated funds. As presented in the source, the figures and criticism reflect Atiku’s political assessment rather than an independently verified casualty count.