“Terrorists Are Learning, Govt Isn’t” — Atiku Faults Tinubu’s Counter-Terrorism Strategy

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has criticised President Bola Tinubu’s counter-terrorism efforts, describing them as inadequate in addressing the country’s worsening security challenges.

Atiku said the persistence of attacks across Nigeria reflects the government’s failure to establish an effective counter-terrorism framework.

He made the remarks in a statement issued on Thursday by his spokesperson, Paul Ibe.

In recent months, insecurity has continued to escalate across the country, with several pupils and teachers abducted by suspected bandits in Oyo and Borno states in May.

Despite repeated assurances from the federal government and security agencies that measures are being taken to combat insecurity, attacks have continued in various parts of the country.

Reacting to the situation, Atiku said Nigeria’s current counter-terrorism strategy is not evolving at the same pace as the threats confronting the nation.

“The terrorists are learning from every attack. They study their successes and failures. They refine their tactics. They identify vulnerabilities. They adapt and strike again.

“The question Nigerians must ask is simple: Why isn’t the government doing the same?

“From Chibok to Oyo, from countless villages in the North-West to communities across the Middle Belt and beyond, the pattern has become tragically familiar. An attack occurs. The nation mourns. Promises are made. Committees are announced. Then another attack follows.

“A nation that refuses to learn from its tragedies is condemned to relive them.

“The disturbing expansion of banditry, terrorism, and kidnapping across different parts of the country clearly demonstrates that our current counterterrorism framework is no longer adequate for the scale and complexity of the challenge before us,” Atiku said.

The former Vice President maintained that one of the major shortcomings of the government’s current approach is the failure of institutions to systematically draw lessons from previous attacks and use them to prevent future incidents.

“It is now imperative that the federal government immediately initiates a comprehensive review of Nigeria’s national counterterrorism policy.

“Such a review must be rooted in Nigeria’s own experiences, drawing lessons from communities that have suffered attacks and developing context-specific, adaptive, and community-driven solutions rather than depending largely on foreign templates,” he stated.

– Politics Nigeria