Obi decries rising insecurity, cites Amnesty report of 10,000 deaths in two years

By John Alechenu, Abuja

The 2023 Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, has expressed deep concern over what he described as the alarming rate of killings by non-state actors across Nigeria.

Quoting figures attributed to Amnesty International, Obi said over 10,000 lives have been lost to terrorists, bandits, and other armed groups in the past two years.

In a statement via his official X handle on Monday, Obi lamented that despite Nigeria not being in a declared war, killings, abductions, and banditry continue to occur daily at an increasing rate.

He cited the recent attack in Okigwe, Imo State, which left many dead and others missing, alongside other reported incidents, including the killing of over 50 worshippers in a Katsina mosque, the abduction of more than 60 people in the same state, and the murder of at least 15 farmers in Plateau State that displaced over 200 families.

Obi warned that the scale of the violence paints a grim picture, noting that civilian casualties in Nigeria over the past two years rival those recorded in countries officially at war, such as Ukraine.

“The first duty of any government is to secure the lives and property of its people. We must put citizens first, stop politicking, and focus on addressing these real issues. The time to act is now,” Obi urged.

He called on leaders at all levels to unite in finding urgent and lasting solutions to the worsening insecurity, stressing that a more secure and prosperous Nigeria remains possible.

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