By Affiong Asam
Former Vice-President and African Democratic Congress (ADC) presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has criticized Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, over the security situation in the state following reports of burglaries in residential buildings close to the governor’s private residence in Calabar.
Atiku, in a post on his social media page, questioned the effectiveness of the state’s security arrangements, alleging that residents living in the same neighborhood as the governor were vulnerable to criminal attacks despite the presence of armed policemen and security checkpoints around the governor’s residence.
Atiku said some residents reportedly lost household appliances, including air conditioners and freezers, while two houses on a nearby street were allegedly burgled a few days ago.
“In Calabar, the neighbours of Cross River’s APC governor say robbers are breaking into their homes in the same estate where armed police and two roadblocks guard the governor’s private residence,” Atiku stated.
He questioned why security arrangements around the governor’s residence appeared stronger than those available to other residents in the neighborhood.
Atiku also took a jib on the governor for continuing to operate from his private residence while the Government House undergoes renovation, arguing that residents living close to the governor should not be exposed to insecurity.
“If the APC cannot secure the street beside the governor, what does it offer the villages beyond the capital?” he queried.
The presidential candidate used the development to highlight his proposed security reforms, promising to redirect the Nigeria Police Force towards a citizen-focused policing system if elected president.
He proposed expanding the police force towards an international benchmark of one police officer to every 450 citizens, alongside the establishment of community-based security and intelligence networks.
According to Atiku, the proposed measures would strengthen neighborhood security and enable communities to report suspicious activities before criminal incidents occur.
“Security that stops at the governor’s gate is not security; it is a fence,” he held.
The criticism comes amid growing political conversations around insecurity and governance in Cross River State as political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
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