Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the “indifference” and silence with which President Bola Tinubu has approached the killing in Benue State and other parts of the country.

In a statement on Monday, Mr Atiku blasted Nigerian leaders at all levels for being insouciant about the tragic killing of innocent Nigerians in the country, accusing Mr Tinubu of being obsessed with power.

“The silence, the indifference, the lack of urgency, it is all damning,” Mr Atiku thundered. “It is a betrayal of the sacred duty of leadership and speaks to a deeper rot in the conscience of leadership, a frightening normalisation of violence against the very people they swore to protect. History will not be kind to those who chose power over people.”

Mr Atiku charged Nigerian leaders to proffer real-time solutions to the crises rather than offering empty condolences.

“This is a call to conscience to every leader at both the federal and state levels: stop turning a blind eye while Benue drowns in blood. Stop offering condolences and start offering solutions.”

The former vice president said the bloodshed had “reached a devastating crescendo,” decrying that thousands of lives had been lost in Benue while political leaders offered only “hollow assurances.”

Mr Atiku accused the APC-led government of attacking and maiming Nigerians for protesting injustice.

“When citizens take to the streets to protest this injustice, they are not inciting rebellion; they are crying for help. They are demanding what every Nigerian is constitutionally entitled to: the right to life and the protection of that life by the state. But what do they receive in return? Tear gas. Brutality. Disdain. It is pouring hot oil on an open wound,” the politician fumed.

The PDP chieftain said that unleashing force on grieving, defenceless citizens is not governance but cruelty, slamming Mr Tinubu-led administration for being unresponsive to the plight of Nigerians.

He urged Nigerians to continue speaking out about issues affecting them and holding their leaders accountable.

The PDP chieftain noted, “We urge the people not to be silenced. Raise your voices. Demand accountability. Demand justice. Demand a government that sees you, hears you, and protects you.”

Mr Atiku advised leaders to work with security agencies and deploy resources in the fight against insecurity, adding, “From Plateau to Zamfara, Kaduna to Taraba; the cries are the same. Nigerians are bleeding and begging to be heard. The time to act is now.”