​Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has alleged that the withholding of appropriated security capital funds by the President Bola Tinubu administration is directly responsible for the deaths of over 17,000 Nigerians, citing recent revelations by ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Senator Mohammed Tahir Monguno as vindication of long-standing opposition warnings.
​In a statement released on Tuesday through his media aide, Phrank Shaibu, the opposition leader claimed that non-release of budgeted funds to security agencies has severely handicapped operations across the country, leading to escalating casualties from terrorism, banditry, and kidnapping.
During a recent Senate engagement with finance officials, Senator Monguno (APC, Borno North) revealed that security agencies appearing before parliamentary committees reported receiving zero capital releases from approved budgets, despite rising security challenges.
Monguno argued that failure to implement duly passed budgets constitutes a breach of the law, describing non-implementation of capital allocations as “an impeachable offence.”
Atiku stated that Monguno’s admissions expose the consequences of fiscal mismanagement, proving that opposition critiques regarding budget opacity were not mere political rhetoric.
Atiku linked the non-disbursement of funds directly to the loss of over 17,000 lives nationwide since the inception of the current administration, arguing that military and law enforcement agencies are being deprived of essential operational equipment and logistics.
​Atiku criticized the executive arm for retaining revenues while withholding mandated distributions to security sectors;
​”For months, the administration dismissed every concern raised about budget implementation and security funding as opposition politics. Today, one of its own ranking senators has confirmed that security agencies are receiving zero capital releases while innocent Nigerians pay the ultimate price.” Phrank Shaibu laments.
​The executive branch and Ministry of Finance have previously attributed fiscal delays to competing economic pressures, including foreign exchange revaluations, debt service obligations, and statutory personnel costs.
However, opposition figures and lawmakers continue to press for full accountability and immediate release of all security allocations approved under the Appropriation Act.
