Atiku Abubakar Slams FG Over Bloody Massacres in Kwara, Katsina, Benue, Labels Nigeria ‘Killing Field’

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has launched a scathing attack on the federal government following the recent wave of deadly massacres across Kwara, Katsina, and Benue states, describing the country as a “killing field” where innocent lives are being lost due to security failures.

In a strongly worded statement posted on his X handle, Atiku expressed deep anguish over the killings, which have claimed hundreds of lives in just a few days. He criticized the government’s reactive approach to insecurity, insisting that mere condemnations after mass burials are insufficient. “The scale and frequency of these attacks expose a catastrophic failure of the state to protect the lives of its citizens, especially the most vulnerable,” Atiku stated.

The attacks, which occurred between February 3 and 5, 2026, have sent shockwaves through the nation. In Kwara State’s Kaiama Local Government Area, armed extremists stormed Woro and Nuku villages, killing at least 162 people, according to local lawmaker Mohammed Omar Bio. Reports indicate the assailants, linked to a Boko Haram faction known as Jama’atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad (JAS), targeted Muslims who refused to join their jihad or embrace a “strange doctrine” of Sharia law. Kwara Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq confirmed that 75 bodies were buried, with the death toll potentially rising to 170 as more corpses are recovered.

In Katsina State, bandits struck Doma village in the northern region, killing between 21 and 35 civilians in reprisal attacks following air force operations against militants. This assault shattered a fragile five-month peace pact between locals and armed groups, leading to widespread destruction of homes and vehicles. Police spokesman Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu reported at least 13 deaths, while Amnesty International pegged the figure higher at 21.

Benue State also witnessed fresh bloodshed, with over 16 people, including Christians and a policeman, killed in an attack on Abande market in Kwande Local Government Area by suspected armed herdsmen. This comes amid ongoing violence in the state, where a 2025 massacre in Yelwata claimed about 150 lives, leading to recent charges against nine suspects on 57 terrorism counts. As earlier reported by NaijaChoice News, similar attacks in Benue last year displaced thousands and torched entire communities, highlighting a pattern of unchecked terror.

President Bola Tinubu has responded by deploying an army battalion to the affected regions and attributing the Kwara attack to Boko Haram. However, critics argue this is too little, too late, echoing Atiku’s call for proactive measures. “Security must be proactive, deliberate and preventive, not reactive. Communities repeatedly attacked must not be left as open hunting grounds for criminals,” Atiku emphasized in his post.

The former vice president, who ran as the PDP presidential candidate in 2023, urged the federal government, state authorities, and local communities to unite against the violence. “I am deeply pained by these killings. I call on the Federal Government, states and communities to act decisively and in concert to end this bloodletting. The murder of even one Nigerian is an unforgivable failure,” he added.

These incidents add to Nigeria’s grim security tally, with over 130 lives lost in the three states within 48 hours alone. Rights groups like Amnesty International have called for urgent investigations, while the Senate has demanded military barracks and armored personnel carriers in Katsina to stem the tide.