Ransom Payments Now Routine in Nigeria — Atiku

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticised the administration of President Bola Tinubu over rising insecurity and economic hardship in the country.

In a statement released on Thursday by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said many Nigerians now see ransom payments as part of normal family expenses.

“Ransom payments have become as routine as school fees and house rent in many homes,” he said.

The former vice president said it was wrong for the presidency to celebrate Nigeria’s debt figures while many citizens are struggling to survive.

“It is both astonishing and insulting that at a time when millions of Nigerians can barely afford one meal a day, the presidency is celebrating debt figures as though indebtedness were an achievement,” Atiku said.

He also raised concerns about worsening insecurity across the country, saying many Nigerians are afraid to travel because of kidnappings and attacks.

“In many parts of Nigeria today, travelling by road has become a gamble with death. Families go to bed praying not to receive midnight calls announcing the abduction of loved ones,” he added.

Atiku blamed insecurity for the decline in food production, saying many farmers can no longer safely access their farms.

“As a result, food production has declined sharply, leading to hunger, rising prices, and widespread hardship,” he said.

While admitting that borrowing can help economic growth if properly managed, Atiku argued that Nigeria’s rising debt has not improved the lives of ordinary citizens.

He accused the government of focusing more on propaganda than solving the country’s economic and security problems, and called for urgent action to address the situation.

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