A former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Thursday raised concern over the renewed killings in Plateau State, describing the recurring attacks and the reported assault on mourners during a burial in Barkin Ladi as a failure of security response in the state.
Atiku was reacting to reports and videos from Barkin Ladi, where gunmen reportedly attacked mourners during a mass burial on Wednesday.
Several people were feared killed, while many others sustained injuries after the attackers allegedly opened fire on residents gathered to bury seven people who had been killed earlier in the community.
However, the attack had yet to be officially confirmed by the police as of the time of filing this report.
In a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, the former vice president said the repeated attacks in Plateau communities now bear the “signature of organised terrorism.”
He also accused the administration of President Bola Tinubu of lacking an effective counterterrorism strategy.
“The violent crises in Plateau State have become an open sore that Nigeria must urgently heal. What is happening is no longer random violence. It is a recurring pattern of coordinated terror attacks against vulnerable communities,” Atiku said.
According to the statement, armed men had attacked the Nding Susut community in Barkin Ladi on Tuesday night, killing several residents before allegedly returning the following day to attack mourners during the burial.
Atiku described the incident as disturbing, saying it showed that even burial ceremonies were no longer safe.
“That attackers could reportedly return to the same community barely 24 hours later to unleash another round of bloodshed is a damning indictment of the government’s failure to respond swiftly to distress calls and secure vulnerable communities,” he stated.
He also faulted what he described as conflicting accounts from security authorities and community leaders over the incident.
“While youth leaders and community sources insist that mourners were attacked during a mass burial, police authorities have reportedly disputed aspects of those accounts.
“What Nigerians deserve at this moment is not bureaucratic contradiction or institutional defensiveness, but urgent action, accountability, and protection for human lives,” he added.
The former presidential candidate further criticised Tinubu for not visiting communities affected by the March 29 killings in Jos North during his visit to Plateau State on April 2.
“Leadership demands more than carefully staged appearances; it demands empathy, courage, and decisive action,” Atiku said.
He added that the Federal Government had failed in its responsibility to protect lives and property in Plateau State.
According to him, over 2,500 people have reportedly been killed in Plateau State between 2023 and 2025.
“These are not mere statistics. They are fathers, mothers, children, farmers, worshippers, and breadwinners whose lives have been cut short while government continues to grope in the dark for solutions,” he said.
Atiku called on the Federal Government, security agencies, and the Plateau State Government to adopt a comprehensive strategy to end the killings and restore public confidence.
“The people of Plateau State deserve safety, justice, and peace — not endless mourning and empty political rhetoric,” he added.
