The Presidential Candidate of African Democratic Congress, ADC, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has accused the Bola Tinubu administration of failing to secure Benue State, warning that the worsening insecurity in the state is undermining food production and driving up the cost of living across Nigeria.
Atiku, in a statement on the security situation in Benue, posted on his X account on Monday, described the state as the “Food Basket of the Nation” and lamented that the basket was now “bleeding”, citing a report by Amnesty International which he said recorded 6,896 deaths in the state within the first two years of the Tinubu administration.
He said the killings had devastated farming communities, displaced families from their ancestral homes and disrupted agricultural production, warning that the consequences were being felt in food prices across the country.
“When Benue cannot farm, Nigeria cannot eat cheaply,” Atiku said, arguing that every farmer forced off the land by insecurity ultimately translates into higher prices for yam, rice, beans, vegetables and meat.
According to him, insecurity has therefore evolved beyond a security challenge into a “cost-of-living tax” imposed on Nigerian families, particularly as farmers abandon their fields for fear of attacks.
Atiku, who identified himself as a farmer, said he had personally experienced the impact of insecurity on agricultural production, noting that his farms had suffered theft and disruption.
He questioned the justification for the removal of the fuel subsidy, which the Federal Government had presented as a measure that would free resources for development and security, while Nigerians continued to face insecurity.
“If Nigerians must pay more for fuel so government can have more resources, and enormous concessions are being approved in the name of national priorities, then Nigerians should not also be paying with their lives,” he said.
Atiku also referenced figures from the Nigeria Customs Service which, he said, showed that about N34 trillion in import-duty exemption approvals were granted in 2025, with a substantial portion reportedly linked to military hardware.
He consequently challenged the administration to demonstrate the security gains Nigerians were promised.
“So Nigerians are entitled to ask a simple question: Where is the security? Where are the results?” he asked.
The former Vice President said the Benue crisis could be resolved, recalling his previous efforts to broker peace between Tiv and Fulani communities.
He maintained that criminality should not be given an ethnic identity, stressing that perpetrators of violence must be punished while farmers and livestock owners are protected and peaceful coexistence restored.
Atiku made the remarks while receiving candidates of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, contesting various elective positions in Benue State, urging them to make the protection of lives, restoration of livelihoods and revival of the state’s agricultural economy central to their political mission.
He said the objective should extend beyond electoral victory to restoring Benue’s status as the Food Basket of the Nation and making life more affordable for Nigerians.
“Tinubu removed the subsidy. Nigerians paid the price. Government got the resources. Benue should not still be paying with blood,” Atiku said.
He called for urgent action to secure Benue, restore agricultural production and reduce the pressure of rising food costs on Nigerians.
