Atiku Abubakar questions NBS website hacking claim, raises doubts over data integrity

Former Vice President and 2023 Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has expressed skepticism over the National Bureau of Statistics’ (NBS) claim that its website was hacked.

The announcement, made barely 24 hours after the release of a controversial report on escalating kidnapping incidents in Nigeria, has drawn criticism and questions regarding the integrity of the agency’s data.

In a statement signed by his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku described the alleged hacking as unprecedented and deeply concerning. The statement pointed out that this was the first time in the agency’s history that its website had been compromised, an incident that coincided suspiciously with the release of a “damning” security report.

“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,” the statement read.

Atiku noted that the situation undermines the credibility of the NBS and casts doubt on the reliability of its data, which is crucial for national planning, development, and research purposes.

The NBS had recently published its “Crime Experience and Security Perception Survey (CESPS)” report, which revealed alarming statistics on insecurity. According to the report, Nigerians paid a staggering N2.23 trillion in ransom to kidnappers between May 2023 and April 2024.

It also highlighted that an estimated 51.89 million crime incidents occurred nationwide during the same period, with the North-West and North-Central regions reporting the highest figures.

Atiku’s statement raised concerns about whether the hacking claim was an attempt to undermine or discredit the report, suggesting possible political motivations behind the incident.

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“These are strange times in Nigeria, and it is hoped that the situation at hand is not an underhand attempt to pigeonhole the integrity of data majorly used for planning and development and research purposes,” the statement added.

Atiku argued that politicizing data and manipulating statistics could have serious consequences for governance and public trust. He emphasized that the NBS must maintain its independence and credibility, free from political interference.

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

He further questioned the timing of the alleged hacking, stating, “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 stat released by the Bureau is an outcome of a hack!”

The NBS had earlier announced on its official X (formerly Twitter) account that its website had been compromised by unidentified hackers. The agency urged the public to disregard any information from unofficial sources until its systems were fully restored.

However, the hacking claim has only added to the controversy surrounding the crime report. Analysts and political observers have also expressed concerns about the implications of this incident on the credibility of Nigeria’s statistical data.

Atiku’s remarks underscore the need for transparency and independence in the operations of the NBS and other critical institutions. He called on the government to ensure the integrity of the Bureau’s data and avoid any actions that might compromise its credibility.

As Nigerians await clarification on the incident, the controversy has reignited debates about the state of security in the country and the role of data in shaping public policy and accountability.