Peter Obi raises alarm over growing insecurity

By Vincent Ujumadu

The 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has raised the alarm over the escalating wave of insecurity across Nigeria, urging the Federal Government to declare a national war on violence.

Reflecting on what he described as a “bloody weekend,” Obi lamented the killing of over 100 Nigerians in Borno, Sokoto, Katsina, and Edo states.

Among the victims were eight officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), five soldiers, and dozens of civilians. The weekend also saw the abduction of a Chinese national in Edo State and the kidnapping of passengers along the Benin–Iyere–Oluku road.

“These are not isolated tragedies. They are stark evidence that Nigeria is in the grip of a full-blown security emergency,” Obi said.

According to him, the casualty figures now rival those of countries officially at war, stressing that the situation demands urgent, decisive action.

“It is time to declare a national war on insecurity — to mobilize every resource, every agency, every state, and to suspend all distractions while we begin the process of reclaiming our nation from lawlessness,” he stated.

Obi extended condolences to the families of the fallen, while commending the courage of security personnel who risk their lives daily for the country.

He, however, criticized government officials for prioritizing foreign trips over domestic security.

“True leadership must be seen at home, personally coordinating the war against insecurity. Investors will not come into a war zone,” he warned.

Drawing lessons from Somalia and Libya, Obi emphasized that no nation can prosper while its citizens live under siege.

“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,” he urged.

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