Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has criticized the administration of President Bola Tinubu over the alleged hacking of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) website, calling it a troubling development.
In a statement released by his Media Office in Abuja, Atiku linked the alleged cyberattack to what he described as the “credibility crisis” of the current administration. He expressed concerns about the integrity of data from the NBS following the release of its 2024 Crime Experienced and Security Perception Survey (CESPS).
The survey revealed alarming statistics, including the murder of 614,937 Nigerians, the kidnapping of 2,235,954 individuals, and a ransom payment of N2.2 trillion averaging N2.7 million per incident between May 2023 and April 2024.
Atiku stated, “The unprecedented claim that the website of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has been hacked is an unpleasant development that adds up to the bad tidings that have characterized the President Bola Tinubu administration.”
He suggested the alleged hack may be an attempt to undermine the credibility of data essential for national planning, development, and research, particularly after the release of the security report. “We may be tempted to assume that every stat released by the Bureau is an outcome of a hack!” he added.
Atiku urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, describing the situation as indicative of “strange times” for the nation.
