The Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Peter Obi, has called on the federal government to declare a “national war on insecurity” following a spate of violent attacks across Nigeria that left more than 100 people dead over the weekend.
In a statement posted on X on Sunday, Obi described the killings in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina and Edo states as evidence that the country is facing a full-scale security emergency.
“Bloody Weekend: over 100 Killed in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, Edo. This grim headline captures the frightening reality reflected in our weekend papers,” he wrote.
He listed the incidents: the killing of eight officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), the abduction of a Chinese national in Edo State, the kidnapping of passengers along the Benin–Iyere–Oluku road, and the slaughter of five soldiers and 58 civilians in Borno State.
“The killing of eight NSCDC officers, the abduction of a Chinese national in Edo, the kidnapping of passengers on the Benin–Iyere–Oluku road, and the slaughter of five soldiers and 58 civilians in Borno are not isolated tragedies,” Obi warned. “They are stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency.”
He added that the sheer scale of casualties was comparable to active war zones. “When over 100 Nigerians are killed in a single weekend, our casualty figures rival those of countries officially at war. This is no longer business as usual.”
The former Anambra State governor extended condolences to the families of victims and demanded swift action against the perpetrators. “Their killers must be swiftly apprehended and brought to justice,” he said.
Obi urged the federal government to suspend distractions and mobilise all available resources to confront insecurity. “It is time to declare a national war on insecurity — to mobilise every resource, every agency, every state, and to suspend all distractions while we begin the process of reclaiming our nation from lawlessness.”
He also criticised public officials for travelling abroad while the crisis worsens at home. “True leadership must be seen at home, personally coordinating the war against insecurity,” he argued. “Junketing around the world under the pretence of wooing investors, while the country bleeds, is to live in denial. Investors will not come into a war zone.”
Obi warned that unchecked insecurity could lead Nigeria towards national collapse, citing examples from Africa’s conflict-ridden states. “Insecurity remains the fastest path to national collapse. Somalia and Libya offer painful lessons,” he cautioned. “We must act now, with urgency and courage, to prevent a total descent into anarchy and rebuild Nigeria into a safe, secure, and productive nation for all.”
Boluwatife Enome
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