Atiku Warns Against Politicisation Of NBS Data Amid Security Statistics Controversy

Former Vice President and 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has cautioned against politicising data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), warning that doing so would undermine development efforts in Nigeria.

In a statement issued by his media office on Thursday, Atiku emphasised the importance of data integrity, particularly in light of recent security statistics released by the NBS. On December 17, the bureau disclosed that Nigerians paid a staggering N2.23 trillion as ransom between May 2023 and April 2024. Additionally, the bureau’s Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey revealed an estimated 51.89 million crime incidents across Nigerian households during the same period.

The shocking figures underscored the country’s worsening security situation and sparked widespread concern. However, controversy arose when media reports alleged that Statistician-General of the Federation, Adeniran Adeyemi, had been summoned by the Department of State Services (DSS) over the ransom payment survey. The NBS refuted these claims, clarifying that neither its website was hacked nor its Statistician-General interrogated.

Atiku expressed suspicion over the alleged hack, describing its timing as suspicious, given that it came shortly after the release of the alarming security statistics.

Atiku’s Concerns

In his statement, Atiku described the alleged hacking incident as unprecedented and a cause for serious concern:

“The unprecedented claim that the website of the National Bureau of Statistics has been hacked is an unpleasant development that adds up to the bad tidings that have characterized the President Bola Tinubu administration.

“The development, which is coming on the heels of the recent data published on the website of the NBS on Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey, underscores the credibility crisis of the current administration.”

Atiku warned that compromising the integrity of NBS data, whether through political interference or manipulation, would be detrimental to Nigeria’s development planning and research efforts.

“Subjecting data and statistics such as those harvested, analysed, and released by the NBS to sexing up or political considerations is counterproductive,” he stated.

He also questioned the suspicious timing of the alleged hack, noting:

“The coincidence of this so-called hack, coming only shortly after the release of damning stats on security, is suspicious. We may be tempted to assume that every stats released by the Bureau is an outcome of a hack.”

Broader Implications

Atiku’s remarks highlight growing concerns about the politicisation of official data in Nigeria, particularly in areas critical to national security and economic planning. He urged the government to uphold the independence and credibility of the NBS, emphasising that accurate data is essential for addressing the nation’s pressing challenges.

As debates over the NBS figures and their implications continue, Atiku’s statement underscores the need for transparency, accountability, and a non-partisan approach to governance and data management in Nigeria.