Former Vice President and African Democratic Congress presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, has said the killings and displacement in Benue State are solvable, urging the Federal Government to urgently restore security to the state.
Atiku, in a statement posted on his social media platforms on Monday, said insecurity in Benue was threatening farming, livelihoods and food security across Nigeria.
He cited an Amnesty International report which, according to him, put the number of people killed in Benue at 6,896 within the first two years of the Tinubu administration.
“Benue is the Food Basket of the Nation. Today, that basket is bleeding,” Atiku said.
He said behind the figures were farmers who had been killed or displaced from their farms, as well as families forced to abandon their ancestral homes.
According to him, the consequences of the crisis extend beyond Benue, as farmers driven from their land are unable to produce food for the wider population.
“And when Benue cannot farm, Nigeria cannot eat cheaply,” he said.
Atiku added that every farmer forced off the land would eventually contribute to higher prices of yam, rice, beans, vegetables and meat in the markets.
“Insecurity is not only a security crisis; it is now a cost-of-living tax on every Nigerian family,” he said.
The ADC presidential candidate said he was speaking from personal experience as a farmer whose farms had also suffered theft and disruption.
“I speak about this not only as a former Vice President, but as a farmer who has felt the consequences of insecurity,” he stated.
He faulted the Tinubu administration for failing to translate increased government revenue into improved security despite the removal of the fuel subsidy and what he described as huge import-duty waivers.
Atiku said Nigerians were told that the removal of the subsidy would free substantial resources for development and security.
He cited a figure of about N34tn in import-duty exemption approvals disclosed by the Nigeria Customs Service in 2025, saying Nigerians had the right to demand accountability for the resources available to government.
“So Nigerians are entitled to ask a simple question: Where is the security? Where are the results?” he asked.
Atiku argued that Nigerians should not be made to pay more for fuel while continuing to lose their lives to insecurity.
“If Nigerians must pay more for fuel so government can have more resources, and enormous concession 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 said the Benue crisis could be addressed through justice, security and deliberate peace-building.
“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.
“A killer is a killer. A thief is a thief. We must punish criminals, protect farmers, secure livestock owners, and restore peaceful coexistence.”
Atiku also disclosed that he had met with ADC candidates contesting various elective positions in Benue State.
He said he charged the candidates to place the protection of lives and livelihoods above political interests.
“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 urging the Federal Government to prioritise security in Benue and restore the state’s capacity to feed Nigerians.
“Tinubu removed the subsidy. Nigerians paid the price. Government got the resources. Benue should not still be paying with blood,” he said.
“Secure Benue. Restore the Food Basket. Make Nigeria affordable again.”
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
