Fact-Check: Babachir Lawal’s Claim That Atiku Abubakar Never Condemned Bandit Attacks in Nigeria Is False
Claim: Babachir Lawal Alleges Atiku Abubakar has never condemned bandit attacks in Nigeria. Verdict: False. Evidence shows that Atiku Abubakar has repeatedly condemned bandit attacks over the years...
Claim: Babachir Lawal Alleges Atiku Abubakar has never condemned bandit attacks in Nigeria.
Verdict: False. Evidence shows that Atiku Abubakar has repeatedly condemned bandit attacks over the years and consistently called on successive governments to take decisive action to end them.
Full Story
After resigning from the ADC on 1 June 2026, former Secretary to the Government of the Federation Babachir Lawal said in a Channels TV interview with Seun Okinbaloye that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar had never condemned bandit attacks in Nigeria. He made the claim while explaining why he called Atiku “Kachalla”, a title he linked to bandit leaders.
Babachir Lawal resigned from the African Democratic Congress (ADC), claiming its recent primaries were manipulated in favour of former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar and his allies.
In a statement issued on Monday, 1st of June 2026, Lawal described the exercise as “massively rigged”, claiming the process was skewed to ensure Atiku and his allies emerged.
Responding to the question of why Lawal referred to Atiku as ‘Kachalla’ in his resignation letter from the ADC?
The former AGF said, “Have you ever seen Atiku condemn bandit attacks?”
Findings by NDRFactCheck show that Atiku Abubakar has condemned multiple bandit attacks in Nigeria over the years.
Public statements by Atiku Abubakar, including posts on his social media pages, show that he has repeatedly condemned banditry, kidnappings, terrorist attacks, and other forms of insecurity across Nigeria.
One recent example came on 26 May 2026, when Atiku condemned violent attacks linked to banditry and terrorism.
Reacting to the abduction of schoolchildren and educators in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar condemned the incident, as well as killings in Katsina, as signs of a failing security system and poor leadership under President Bola Tinubu. He said the government was offering “empty statements” as insecurity worsened nationwide and called for urgent rescue efforts and a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s security architecture.
Atiku said repeated attacks on schools and communities show that criminals now operate without fear, warning that attempts to suppress evidence of atrocities are unacceptable.
In January 2026, after worshippers were abducted in Kajuru Local Government Area of Kaduna State, Atiku condemned the attack and raised alarm over what he called the increasing boldness of bandits across the country. He also warned that peace deals with criminal groups often benefit offenders more than victims and urged stronger action to protect communities.
Media reports quoted Atiku as saying it was “embarrassing” that non-state actors kept communities under siege through repeated attacks. He added that the government should prioritise preventing such attacks instead of responding only after lives have been lost.
In 2025, Atiku Abubakar also condemned the attack on Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School in Maga, Kebbi State, where the vice-principal was killed, and 25 students were abducted.
Reports on Atiku’s response to attacks in Kaduna State describe his remarks as a condemnation of bandit violence and kidnappings. Media coverage over time has carried headlines such as “Atiku condemns Kaduna bandit attacks” and outlined his criticism of both the bandits and the government’s response to insecurity.
Search results for the word “bandits” on his X page also show multiple instances in which he condemned such attacks, some dating back to 2014.
These statements directly contradict the claim that Atiku has never condemned bandit attacks.
Why the Statement Is Misleading
Lawal’s statement was framed as an absolute claim — that Atiku had never condemned bandit attacks. For such a claim to be accurate, there would need to be no record of Atiku publicly criticising or condemning banditry.
However, documented statements from the former vice president show the opposite. Whether one agrees with Atiku’s political position or not, public records demonstrate that he has repeatedly spoken against bandit attacks, kidnappings, and terrorism.
The existence of even one verified instance of condemnation is sufficient to disprove the assertion that he has “never” condemned such attacks. In this case, there are multiple documented examples.
Conclusion
Babachir Lawal’s claim that Atiku Abubakar never condemned bandit attacks in Nigeria is false. Public statements show that Atiku has repeatedly denounced bandit attacks, kidnappings, and other violence, including incidents in Kaduna, Katsina, and Oyo states. These records directly contradict Lawal’s assertion.
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